How to Steal a Heart
by The Disillusioned
Summary: Tora is an upstart thief working under Jiro, Youko’s biggest competition in the Makai. Returning from a heist she is captured by the infamous fox demon himself. Tora has to escape from his grasps before she looses everything she's worked so hard for.
1. The Fox's Den

Hi everyone! So this is my first story. I've been doing one-shots but not full-length stories. I'm really excited to be doing this. I love Youko I find him great! This story is rated for language and suggestive themes. If I get concerned about anything in the story I will change the rating.

**Disclaimer** - Anyways I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Who might I add is an amazing man!

* * *

"Thieves. Ignorant savages all of them. Not a single one is worthy of being happy. Greedy creatures pushed only to have what is forbidden. None are kind, none are caring, and none give a rat's ass about anything but the gorgeous jewel dangling freely below their noses. The blood on their clothes is nothing, so long as the sought out prize is in their grubby grasps. Fallen comrades are merely an old memory, if that. Most are mere tools used to push others to the artifact. For a moment in time they are content. Pleased with their life, pleased with what they've achieved. But that pleasure soon fades along with everything else around them. In desperation for that feeling they turn to alcohol, sex, killing even. But it's never enough. It isn't until they plan that next heist that they feel a glimmer of that beautiful emotion once again.

Another flicker shoots through their veins as they race towards the location. Castle, cave, forest, village, museum all are possible stops on a thieves quest. Breaking in the adrenaline kicks in, sending an almost euphoric sensation through the mind, body, and soul. Then slowly their gaze falls to what they've sought. The cause of the complete feeling in their heart. The only thing in the world that makes them feel whole like everyone else. Finally they hold it in their hands, relishing the feel of it against their skin."

The female demon stopped her explanation for a moment. Letting her audience take in the words. Tora lifted the glass filled with some sort of alcoholic beverage to her lips, partaking in its sweet taste. Piercing teal eyes rolled around to look at the man sitting next to her. He was as trusting as he was idiotic. He'd graciously let her into his home, not even second-guessing her. Looking down she brushed her hand across her thin tail. She found it an interesting contrast. Solid black except for one spot of blonde at the very end. The clearing of a throat caught the young woman's attention. The man nodded his head and Tora took that as her sign to continue.

"Now you probably think I'm being one-sided in this argument don't you? Calling all people who steal greedy isn't exactly the nicest thing now is it?"

Slamming her elbows on the table she leaned across it until she was right in front of him a small grin on her lips.

"Sure some would commend those who stole for others. Those who steal to support families, help a sick sibling, get a friend out of debt. But in the end they all get something out of it don't they? They get a full stomach and a happy family. Their sibling lives happily and healthy. And they get to shut their bickering friend up. But can you tell me what the thieves really get out of it old man?"

Tora raised an eyebrow at the strange look on the mans face. Obviously the conversation had just taken a very odd turn, in his opinion. Standing she walked around so she was standing directly in front of him, an innocent smile plastered to her bright red lips. The man stood to his feet in a rather fluid movement and gently grabbed her shoulders. Concern was scribbled all over the wrinkled mess he called a face. He was worried about her, how charming.

"What did the thieves do to you child? What did they do to make you so jaded?" Visibly flinching she couldn't help the splinter of anger the rushed through her system. It was killing her high, as was this old man. Time to move on, she couldn't squeeze any more entertainment from this part of the crime if she tried.

"I'll tell you what thieves get. An addiction, a thirst, a hunger that can never be satisfied."

Smirking Tora shoved her man straight through the mans chest watching the array of emotions that played across his face. Pity, he was such a funny old man. Pulling her hand from his lifeless body she walked to the bathroom to wash the blood off her hand, before raiding his room for the one thing she'd actually come for, the Akahana stone. A satisfied grin spread across her lips as she pulled it from its hiding place. The beautiful red contrasted greatly against her pale skin tone. Pulling her top back Tora shoved the stone into her bra before going to exit the house.

"Wa…i..t….yo…u…"

Turning she raised an amused eyebrow at the mans distress. Seems the old man had a bit more life in him than she'd first assumed. Shrugging her shoulders Tora decided to indulge herself a bit more. What harm could it do? Slowly she made her way back towards him. The sound of her boots against the hardwood floor being the only sound besides the mans slight whimpering. Squatting down she waited until she was right in front of his face.

"Oh you sound like a wounded dog."

The fake concern lacing her voice was obviously one of mockery. She had her lips puckered out in an exaggerated way. Her cold finger ran smoothly across his face before cutting deeply into the flesh, creating a fresh new wound. "I hate dogs."

Standing up Tora gave a sharp kick to the mans stomach before heading back towards the door. His screams following after her. Stopping once again she turned back a sweet smile on her lips.

"Oh how rude of me to never introduce myself, my name is Tora Kaminari. Thank you for allowing me into your home. You've been a wonderful host." Turning off the lights she left the house without another word. _'Another life lost, another heist accomplished.'_

* * *

Sitting in a cave deep in the forest Tora looked at the lovely stone she'd just stolen. True it was an easy job seeing as the man hadn't even put up a fight. Almost as if he knew and wanted her to take it. Odd. Shrugging she decided not to dwell on it too much. Running a finger over the stone she couldn't help but gawk at the beauty of it. Whoever created it was an absolute genius. A small diamond sat in the center of the red ruby that was carved and swirled out to resemble a blooming rose. Tiny diamonds were set in different spots to create highlights in the piece. _'Truly gorgeous.'_

Popping the stone into her mouth she held it there as she promptly stripped off her clothes and stepped into a nearby lake. Making sure to keep her hair dry she washed her body off quickly and affectively. Tora had been a thief long enough to know that if you weren't cautious you'd get caught. She hadn't made a mistake yet and now wasn't the time to start. Pulling herself out she shook the water from her body before slipping on a blue kimono. It was a pale blue with yellow flowers placed at random. It was tied with a matching yellow obi. Looking down she remembered just how short it was, seeing as it ended just above her mid-thigh. She looked like a whore. Shrugging she began walking away, pulling the gem from her mouth.

Tora couldn't remember whom exactly she'd stolen the kimono from, not that it really mattered. But it must have been a common prostitute because of how easy it came off and on. How she wished her mind could have stayed on such a simple subject. But it kept running back to the old man. Sure she always felt guilty when she took another's life, but it was theirs or hers and she wasn't ready to die just yet. Sighing she tried to concentrate on the sounds around her and less on her thoughts. They always left her frazzled and upset.

Furrowing her brows, she turned just as an arrow grazed past her cheek. A long stream of red was left in its wake. Tora's eyes widened at the size of the group. This did not look well. '_Run. Run. Run!'_ It took the sight of another arrow for the words to actually register in her mind. Sharply she took off through the woods. Two things were weighing heavily against her in this situation. One she wasn't familiar with this area at all. This was her first time stepping foot on _his_ land. Tora pushed her hand down propelling herself across the fallen tree. However she was met face to chest with a rather large man. He had broad, burly shoulders and easily towered over her by about two feet. His dark skin seemed to blend in with the dark red of his hair, giving him an almost ominous feeling. The long scar between his eyes didn't make him any more appealing.

"Look what we got here. A little panther demon."

"She ain't no panther look at the blonde."

Looking at the owner of the second voice Tora couldn't help but cringe at how ugly he was. Bright blue skin, orange hair. What else should be said?

"Ha ha ha! We gots ourselves a half-breed boys" Laughed the large one in front of her.

Narrowing her eyes at them she couldn't understand what her race had to do with anything. But it was hard to hide what she was, seeing as her hair colors kept her from both tribes. Instead of countless stripes like her tiger brethren she had one. One bright blonde streak down the side of her head. It covered her ear, making her stand out even more. A blonde ear and a black ear, talk about grabbing attention. Stepping back she rubbed her hands together lightly, noticing the lack of attention it seemed to get. Great they weren't observant! Tora concentrated on sending her demon energy to her hands, and her hands only. After they began to glow a light gold she let a satisfied smirk appear on her lips. Slamming her shoulder roughly against the large man she managed to knock him out of her way. The other was on her just as quickly, pulling some sort of dagger from his pocket. Tora slammed her palm against his scaly blue forehead, sending a bolt of lightening straight through his skull. It made a sickening pop, but she was used to the sound by now.

The shouts and cries of the other men rang into her ears as she once again found herself weaving through the forest. How did this happen? How did she end up fighting with disgusting creatures such as them? She had been careful! She'd planned it all out, well all except for one thing. Tora couldn't understand how exactly he'd caught onto her so quickly. True he was legendary but she was pretty slick. She'd managed to slip under Koenma's nose for years blaming it on others. Never once had she actually been given credit for her steals.

Turning back she was happy, to say the least, to see not a single person behind her. Seemed they'd given up. A bright grin spread across her red lips at the thought. No more running, well for a few minutes at least. It is possible they were just fat, heavy-footed demons. All at once, however, time seemed to stop for Tora as she felt warm breath brush against her bare neck. A clawed finger brushed lightly across her ear, and it took every cell in her body to keep from purring.

"How unusual…"

Growled a deep, velvety voice into her ear. Her suddenly dry mouth was making it difficult to swallow the lump in her throat. What was she to do? Spinning around she found herself staring once again at a chest. This one however wasn't nearly as disgusting as the last one had been. A lovely pale color, so pale it could rival that of freshly fallen snow. Tora just remembered her number two reason for being an underdog, she was in enemy territory. A shriek slipped from her lips as an arm wove tightly around her waist pulling her foreword.

"Now, now Kitten. How about we save that voice for later, hm?"

Tora looked up into dazzling gold as a shard pain run through her neck. It was now that she noticed the large needle in his hand. That would have been helpful earlier. A kitten in a fox's den, and she'd just been caught by their king, the one and only Youko Kurama.

* * *

Incase anyone wanted to know Akahana means Red Rose. When I found it I thought it would be very fitting to the story. That and I needed a name for it!


	2. Kitten

I want to dedicate this chapter to **bonbonchocolate**. Believe it or not I had been hesitant to publish the story. I sent her my first chapter and she gave me the courage to publish and continue with it. So this one is for her. I wanted to do this earlier and completely forgot about it! Forgive me for the late dedication.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Who might I add is an amazing man!

Tora, Jiro, Hiroki and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing! Anyone recognize Shaga? If so let me know!

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Youko's eyes narrowed at the limp form in his arms. This girl, she wasn't what he'd been expecting. When he'd heard the rumors about Jiro's new member he'd assumed it would be another ugly, pig-headed, bastard like all the others. But this girl was not what he'd been expecting. The moment he'd seen her walk into old man Hiroki's home he'd been impressed. She'd even managed to fool that crazy old man. He never trusted anyone, always assuming they were in allegiance with him. With a grunt he threw the girl roughly over his shoulder before looking back towards the trees.

"What did you find this time?"

Came the bored tone of his partner and friend, Kurone. The bat demon approached his friend looking at the girl who was lazily sleeping away.

"I thought we came to find a thief not who-"

"She is the thief."

"Really? Seems Jiro finally realized your one weakness!"

With a hearty laugh Kurone began walking back to their castle. Rolling his eyes Youko followed silently. There wasn't really much to do now but take the Akahana stone back from her, put her in a cell, and wait. That's all they could do.

* * *

Tora's ears twitched lightly, before her eyes fluttered open. Sitting up she rubbed the drug induced sleep from her eyes before taking in her surroundings. She was obviously not in the forest anymore. However if this was hell, it was pretty nice. It had two flat futons in the center of the room, one of which she was currently occupying. A small dresser was on the other side of the room, near one of two doors. One was probably the way out, and she could only assume the other was a bathroom. Glancing up she noticed there was even a cleanly cut out square on the wall. A barred window, how original.

The sound of the door slamming open made Tora jump clear out of her skin. A tall lanky girl walked in, her short purple hair hung in a choppy mess around her pale face. Her dark red eyes met Tora's bright teal ones and for an instant she felt somewhat safe.

"Your awake! Oh thank goodness, I was worried Youko had drugged you with something that you couldn't handle!"

The girl ran over plopping down in front of Tora. She couldn't help but notice how pretty her outfit was. It looked like a decorated sleeping robe, mainly because of the fact that it tied around the waist. It was a deep green that contrasted well with her eyes and hair. She must have noticed her strange stare because she started talking again.

"I'm Shaga and I will be escorting you to see Youko and Kurone."

"Tora, and what if I don't want to see them?" She said blankly watching the look of humor form on Shaga's face.

"To bad. Don't think of running. I won't stop you but Youko has ordered the men to kill you if you're caught without me."

Shaga stood up, snatching Tora to her feet along with her. Now she was worried. It was obvious that she wasn't of any threat to Youko. He'd made that clear by keeping her in a room with such little security. Looking at the men, she couldn't help but notice how much they all avoided Shaga. Was she one of the main thieves? If she survived this meeting she'd be sure to ask her. Tora smiled when she saw the woman looking over at her. Something about her was comforting, like a mothers comfort. She smiled once more when she felt the light pat on her shoulder. _'Just like a mother.'_

Shaga stopped in front of a large decorative door. It was not only tall but wide, probably to make entrances for the array of demons easy. Tora watched as the woman next to her lightly knocked on the door, the sound seemed to pound deep in her ears. It made her cringe but she'd convinced herself to act strong. It'd always worked with Jiro, it should work here. A muffled reply was all she heard before the door was shoved open. Shaga gave her a comforting smile before leading her into the room. Two feet inside and Tora could already feel herself loosing her resolve. It seemed to get worse when Shaga left the room with a bat demon, which she could assume was Kurone.

The clicking of the door shutting caused her heart to sink straight to her stomach. Looking around the room she noticed it looked more like an office than a conference room. Maps were placed high and low through out the room; colored tacks were placed at random across them. Tora assumed the different colors were for different groups of thieves. Along with the array of maps was a large collection of books. They were scattered all over the floor, so much so that she couldn't tell if the floor was tiled like the hallway or not. Teal orbs traveled upwards to see a very stressed out looking Youko. A small smirk was plastered to his lips; he'd been watching her. But even through the humorous look the tension was still apparent on his face. He pointed lazily to the chair in front of his desk before leaning back in his own chair. Why did this feel like a business meeting?

Sighing Tora stepped around the books the best she could, watching the amusement on his face grow. His messy habits were causing her pain and he found it funny. Typical man. After a couple of stumbles she sat down in the chair. If she'd been nervous at the door, she was hysterical now.

Youko watched as she fidgeted nervously in her chair. This would be interesting. He couldn't help but notice how different her demeanor was now than it was with the old man. An interesting catch she was turning out to be. Not once had she given him the feeling of being a thief, nor did she seem to enjoy it. Yet she was stealing and killing his men, as well as working for Jiro. Reaching across the desk he roughly grabbed her arm, pushing the sleeve of her kimono up. On her wrist was a small cut; a crystal had been pushed into the wound. Youko had studied his competition for a while and had noticed a trend with Jiro's people. Every last one of his team had this crystal. Those members skin had already grown around the small tracking device though. That was unfortunate for those men, he'd had to cut their hands off before questioning them. Looked like this wasn't the case for her.

"Looks like you get to keep your hand kitten."

She inwardly cringed at the nickname. He wasn't too creative was he? Closing her eyes she winced slightly as he pulled the crystal from her skin. It'd already begun branching into her system. Tora watched as Youko looked at it, he looked intrigued as he pulled on one of the appendages that'd been in her arm.

"I have a proposition for you."

His voice seemed faraway, mainly because he was still looking at the stupid crystal. It was obvious what it was, in her opinion he needed to put it away and talk. Youko dragged on for a few moments, not saying a word. It was taking everything she had not to walk out of the room.

"The proposition?"

His eyes flicked to hers, that's when she saw something click. Like he'd just realized she was still in the room. How rude could he be? Calling her in there to just forget she was there.

"Right, you can either join my crew or I can kill you. Considering you're with Jiro you should be happy I'm even considering making a deal with you. If you'd been one of those hideous meatheads he normally sends I probably would have killed you on the spot. What do you say kitten?"

Tora felt herself twitch again, though it seemed this time he picked up on it as well. The smirk returned to his lips, making a small growl slip from her throat.

"My name isn't kitten it-"

"I honestly don't give a damn what your name is right now. Are you joining or not?"

"Yes."

Pursing her lips together she looked down at her hands, which she'd folded in her lap earlier. Her eyes gently followed Youko's form as he stood up walking over to one of the maps. At first she watched as he took the tacks and moved them around the board, obviously forgetting she was in the room again. However after a moment her eyes drifted down to his twitching tail. It was amusing to watch, the longer she watched the more she felt her tail wag along with his. Tora let her eyes wash over the rest of his body, finally taking in the rest of his appearance. His silver hair was long, hanging all the way down his back just like hers. Though his looked a thousand times better than hers did right now. It did become a bit hard to tell where his hair started and ended since it blended in with his clothes. White the color of purity, ironic seeing as everyone knew Youko was the poster boy for everything impure.

She felt her face turn to flames when he looked back at her, a crooked smile on his lips. She'd been checking him out and he'd caught her. Looking down Tora tried to create a curtain between them with her hair. But just as it'd fallen into place she felt something push it back. Looking beside her teal met gold. When had he moved?

"See something you like kitten?"

Tora shook her head no in violent manner, which received a low chuckle from Youko. He wasn't used to shy girls. Normally the only women in the castle were the ones willing to throw themselves at him. But he'd taken her so he hadn't known what to expect. This was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

"My name isn't kitten! It's-"

Another low knock on the door caught both of their attentions, as well as stopped her from telling him her name. Again. Shaga poked her purple head in, a nervous look in her eyes. However once she saw Tora her eyes lit up. Seems she'd expected to find a dead cat when she came back.

"I haven't decided where I want her yet. Get her cleaned up, feed her, do whatever you want after that. She'll be staying with you until I get one of the maids to prepare a room."

"That's fine!"

She said in her usual happy tone before rushing over to Tora, and pulled her from the chair. She couldn't help but be thankful for Shaga's timing. Another minute and her face might have actually caught on fire. She was going to be sure to never get herself into a situation like that again. Just as they were closing the doors she caught a few last minutes words he was saying to her.

"I hope you enjoy your stay, Tora."

She turned around just in time to see his smirk before the door slammed. That tricky fox! He'd messed with her like that on purpose! He'd known her name the whole time!

"You stupid fox!"

Shaga couldn't understand what to be more surprised about, Tora's words or the laughter coming from behind the closed door. There was clearly something she'd missed. But the look on the cat's face was quite cute. Her face was scrunched up in anger, her lips puckered out in a fake pout. She was an amusing character; there was a lot more to her than what met the eye. Grabbing her by the wrist she began walking down the hallway.

"Come on! I wanna get to know you sometime today!" With a small giggle Shaga began running down the hall, dragging the now smiling girl behind her.


	3. Girls, Girls, Girls!

So I've only received one review so far. If there's only one person reading that's fine but really, if you're reading it please review. I won't always beg but I want to know if I'm doing all right or not since I'm just starting. I worked really hard to push another chapter out so here it is! This chapter is dedicated to **darkdemon125**. She was the only one who reviewed last chapter! Thank you so much for your review, I hope I didn't spell to many words wrong in this chapter! I looked over it though so maybe just maybe.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi

Tora, Jiro, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

"I'll be back in a few minutes. There's a bathrobe for when you're done. You can borrow something of mine until we can get you some clothes of your own." Shaga told Tora. They were standing in front of another doorway, and once again Shaga was leaving her there. Hopefully there wouldn't be a fox behind this door though. With a small wave the crimson-eyed demon turned away. Tora turned toward the doorway, looking at it incredulously. She honestly didn't want to go anywhere without Shaga. Especially since Youko had the word to kill her spread around this morning. Hopefully that was cleared up by now.

Taking a deep breath she pushed the door open, she immediately felt a wave of heat rush out to greet her. Glancing around what she now knew as a bathhouse she was amazed at how large it was. Closing the door she walked to the side of the water, running her hand across its warm surface. This would be a pleasant change from the chilly waters of the lakes she always used. Slowly she slipped out of her kimono and sat on the wooden stool. It felt funny to sit naked on a stool but she knew the system. Grabbing the bucket by the water she filled it up before pouring it down over herself. Now rinsed of the outer layer of grime Tora slipped into the warm waters. It seemed to calm her down. Despite her act she'd been terrified in this fortress, even after she'd joined Youko's team. When Jiro heard of her betrayal all hell could break loose. That was something she was going to need to fix soon. Maybe, just maybe, since she was working for him Youko would help her out. Slipping under the waters surface, she let it soak her hair and ears.

Time seemed to fly by as she sat in the warm, comforting water. It hadn't even seemed like two minutes had passed when a faint knock washed through the room.

"Just a minute!"

Tora pulled herself regrettably from the water. Grabbing a towel she wrapped it tightly around her soaking form. Shaking her head she let the water fly from her ears and hair. Once her body was dry she dropped the towel and threw on her under garments and the bathrobe. It was so thin that she wasn't even sure if she could call it material. Opening the door she was met by yet another wave of air, this time though it was freezing. Shivering she followed Shaga down the hallway. It seemed she was spending most of her day following her around. Well if she was going to follow her, she was going to make the most of her time.

"Shaga, what type of demon are you?"

Crimson orbs rolled around to lock with teal ones at the question. Even from here Tora could see the pain and conflict rolling in her normally gorgeous eyes. What was so bad about her people?

"I'm a Fire Apparition. What about you? Your not like any other cat demon I've ever encountered."

"I'm a tiger panther mix."

Tora had spent her entire life looking for alternative words to use instead of half-breed. It sounded so rude, that and every context she'd ever heard it in was sneered. Shaga seemed to slip off into her own train of thought, leaving her alone for now. She once again became painfully aware of just how thin the robe was, however, when a group of thieves walked by. Their wandering eyes caused a low growl to slip from her throat. It must have gone unnoticed since they began laughing at her pink face. Shaga took a sharp turn making Tora almost trip over her own feet to keep up. The door wasn't as large as the one to Youko's office, but it was decorated the exact same. Walking in she was immediately surprised by the bright orange walls. She'd expected the room to be as dark as the hallway. A tall bed was pushed against the wall closest to the door, and was covered in a silky white comforter. The room was elegant only holding a couple of other pieces of furniture. Shaga left her standing there, probably to go to the closet for clothes.

A cold shiver raced down Tora's spine, this thin little robe wasn't the warmest thing. She was currently wishing she could run and jump back into the warm water. Shaga came back from the closet holding a dress similar to her own, except in a different color. It was a deep purple with black trim; Tora found herself liking this one more than the one Shaga was wearing. A smile spread across the Fire Apparitions lips when she saw the way she was looking at the dress. She was glad she liked it, it seemed like it would fit her well. Putting the dress on the bed she walked over ripping the bathing robe from Tora's body.

"What do you think your doing?!" She shrieked out, her face turning a bright red. True she had undergarments on but that didn't mean she wanted to be standing half-naked in front of someone who was practically a stranger.

"Stop making such a fuss! You're going to need help putting it on."

She hadn't been kidding either. It took them almost fifteen minutes to get the dress properly situated on her body. Seeing as Shaga was so much taller than her the dress didn't stop at her mid-calf, instead it went to the ankle. It ended up coming down in a lower v as well but that wasn't too bad. Tora sat down letting the other female do as she wished with her hair.

"Shaga, are you one of the main thieves?"

"Oh heavens no! I'm not a thief at all!" She said laughing lightly before starting on her hair once again. She began humming softly, giving Tora the impression of not wanting to talk about it. Understanding how the felt she didn't bring the subject up again. Instead she listened to her soft voice behind her. The pulling of her hair hurt from time to time, but not enough for her to stand up and leave. As she sat there Tora tried to understand why exactly Youko wanted her on his team. Other than to get back at Jiro there didn't really seem to be any real reason. Sure she was a good thief but in the presence of a legend like Youko she was a mere ant.

"All done! Take a look."

Shaga stepped away from her, pointing towards a bathroom. Hesitantly she stepped into the room. Looking at herself in the full-length mirror she barley recognized herself. The dark purple silk clung tightly to her frame, accenting all of her curves. It had a slit that came up to her knee leaving a bit of her pale skin visible. The trim around the neck, sleeves, and bottom of the dress had a checkered pattern of silver and black; the sash around her waist was made of the same fabric. Shaga had pulled the top layer of her hair back into a small bun, leaving the rest to hang free. A blonde and black strand of hair lay free, framing her face.

"You look lovely."

"Thank you." Tora said softly. Turning towards the door she ran out launching herself at the taller girl. She'd never felt so beautiful in her entire life. Yet Shaga had made her gorgeous in less than an hour. She didn't let go until the fire apparition had hugged her back. It didn't last long before she snatched herself back, a look a realization engraved on her face.

"We're late! We're supposed to be eating lunch with Youko and Kurone."

Shaga tossed her a pair of traditional Chinese Shoes before slipping a pair on herself. Tora glared at the black shoes before putting them on. She didn't like them they reminded her of Youko. The moment they entered the hallway Shaga was running. Tora lifted the bottom of her dress up following after her.

"Youko said he didn't care what we did!" The cat growled angrily before turning a corner.

"I ran into him again while you were bathing. He said we should all eat lunch together."

Somewhere in the back of her head Tora knew he hadn't said it so nicely. Probably more like ordered them to eat with him. Damn fox. She hadn't thought she'd have to sit through being called kitten again so soon. She hadn't realized Shaga had stopped running until she ran into her back. Stumbling backwards she ran into something else. This felt like a body as well. Tora could only pray it wasn't another of those nasty thieves she'd growled at earlier. Looking up she was surprised when she saw the violet eyes looking down on her. Well at least he isn't nasty.

"I thought cats were graceful." The mocking in his voice made her want to groan. Stereotypes, she hated them. Not everyone fit into his or her stereotype right? It felt as if they stood there for an eternity. Probably because he wouldn't break his stare. Those piercing eyes bore into hers. From out of the corner of her eye she could see something red twirling. It looked like some sort of stone, she would have looked at it better but somehow she thought looking away might be a bad idea.

"Kurone stop your making her uncomfortable."

"Che, fine."

Tora's head bounced up in surprise. He'd actually listened to Shaga! Hadn't she told her in the room she wasn't a thief? Shaking her head she'd almost decided to ask her later, however she took an opportunity when she saw one. Kurone went through the door in front of them before the two had a chance, Tora grabbed Shaga by her arm pulling her away from the door a bit.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get him to listen to you! It was like he didn't even give it a second thought!" Shaga seemed to think about her answer for a moment. She even scratched her head, had she never thought about it? Confusion swept across her face, but was soon replaced with a serene smile.

"He's just always had a soft spot for me I suppose."

Grabbing Tora by the wrist Shaga dragged her back towards the door. A small wink over the shoulder was the last thing she saw before the door was pulled open. Once again the room wasn't what she'd expected. It was a relatively small room with a table in the center. Youko sat on one side with Kurone opposite of him. They were sitting on pillows on the ground.

"This is a private dining area. We won't always eat here." Shaga whispered in a rushed tone.

Tora nodded her head grateful for the bit of information. That would probably be the last time she was grateful that night however. She'd just realized she was going to have to sit next to Youko. That wasn't exactly a bad thing but it wasn't exactly good either. He was handsome, one of his more obvious traits, but he was a pervert. Tora didn't mind perverted minds unless the subject up for discussion involved her, and by the look he was currently giving her she was certain she'd be part of it.

She couldn't tell if she was actually walking slowly or if time just seemed to slow down, but it felt like the walk to the table took ages. She stopped at the edge of the table just as Shaga had and waited to be given permission to sit. Her insecurities were getting the better of her, especially when his eyes raked over her form again. Another round of color rose to her face, only to be increased by one statement.

"I hadn't realized how sexy you were kitten." And so began a long lunch.


	4. Snake in the Grass

I want to apologize a head of time for this chapter. It's about five hundred words shorter than all the others and I feel bad about it. I don't know why I feel bad by I do. So yeah.

**Death101 – Fox Version **Thank you for commenting on all three chapters, first of all! As for both of your questions, if I tell you it may just ruin some of the story! You'll have to wait and see.

**Darkdemon125 **Haha I'm glad you loved it! Thank you for your support.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

"Normally when given a compliment you say thank you, that's called manners."

Youko's smug tone made her stomach turn. Could he be anymore arrogant? He patted the cushion next to him, while taking a drink of something. Rolling her eyes she sat down, folding her legs neatly beneath her. Tora honestly wasn't sure what to do next, the only thing on the table was a cup, and she wasn't even sure if it had something in it or not. Looking away from the table she decided to try and talk to Shaga, however that thought ended as quickly as it started. She felt an arm snake around her waist tightly, and in a swift movement she was pulled directly to Youko's side. Seems he'd noticed her sitting on the edge of the pillow.

"Whatever happened to personal space?"

"Do you not want to be near me Kitten?"

"For the last time my name isn't Kitten!"

Tora snatched his arm from around her waist before trying to situate herself better on the cushion. Before she was fully away he raked his nails across her leg before looking away innocently. A pale pink graced her cheeks, to Youko's satisfaction. He wasn't exactly sure why the flush was so appealing to him. Perhaps it's the visual display of her innocence that really appealed to him. Honestly he didn't give a damn what it was that was drawing him to her like this, all he knew was he liked it.

The dark haired male took a sip of his own drink before looking at his partner. Kurone didn't want to be here right now. He should have been working on planning the next heist. But Youko had insisted that he join them for lunch, saying that this girl might have some information about Jiro. From the looks of her though it was unlikely, she just looked like another of Jiro's whores, not one of his thieves. The stupid flirting was getting irritating today as well. Kurone was in a bad mood mainly because he was hungry, tired, and most of all bored.

"Youko, didn't you have some questions?"

Silver ears twitched lightly before he looked up at the man across from him. The aggravation was obvious on his face, but he wasn't sure why exactly. Normally Kurone would have ignored him anyway, indulging himself in talking to Shaga. Maybe she'd noticed the aggravation as well because she wasn't even looking at him at the moment. Tora watched as he let out a deep sigh, all humor from his face vanishing with the breath.

"Tell us about Jiro."

His voice seemed cold, distant almost. It was the first time she'd heard him like this, could this be his business tone? If so it was just as bad as Jiro's normal tone.

"What about Jiro?"

"Anything, everything. Other than the fact that he's a thief with a scar we know nothing about him."

Tora found that somewhat surprising, seeing as Youko had said earlier that he studied his competition. But what she knew of Jiro he always had others do his dirty work for him. Looking up at Shaga she was hoping for something, anything to get her out of this conversation. Instead she got an encouraging smile; well she could always dance around the truth.

"He's an elemental with the control of ice, other than that I don't know much about him personally. I do know however that he has groups set up in all three lands, most of them in Tourin."

The two men seemed to find this information interesting; they really hadn't known anything about him. Tora trapped the blonde strand of hair on her finger, twirling it mercilessly around. She hoped they wouldn't notice how simple her answers were.

"What's his motive? For stealing I mean," Youko didn't once glance in her direction as he spoke. His eyes were calculating.

"Other than the thrill…I believe it's to beat you."

It started with a couple low chuckles from both of them men in the room. But soon enough laughter was bouncing off the walls that it made Tora feel trapped in this strangely tense atmosphere. It probably wouldn't have been tense if it weren't for the reason they were laughing. They found the idea of him being a threat funny! She was increasingly surprised when she didn't hear Shaga's laughter in it. She seemed like the kind that would jump at the chance to laugh. Rolling her eyes away from Youko she locked them on Shaga, but what she saw shocked her. A hard glare had formed on the normally sweet-faced girl. At first she thought the glare was directed towards her but then she noticed another woman in the room. Looking her over she immediately was worried. She wore a pair of loose fitting pants, with a tight white shirt. Her bright blue eyes were the complete opposite of her hot pink hair. Tora assumed it was long since it was tied up in a very messy bun.

The air seemed to thicken once the men's laughter stopped. Finally they noticed. Teal orbs washed across the faces in the room. Shaga had a look pure anger, and it seemed to seep from every pore on her body. The mysterious guest seemed completely unfazed and instead fixed her gaze on Tora. Kurone appeared completely and utterly confused, whatever was going on here he had no clue about it. However Youko looked like a kid who'd just been caught stealing his sister's toys. Guilt riddled his gorgeous features; his ears even seemed to slump down some.

Another woman rushed in suddenly, four dishes in her hands each covered. Without even bothering to glance at the people in the room she placed a plate in front of all of them before exiting in the same fashion.

"What the hell is she doing here?!" Shaga's shrieking tone surprised both Tora and Kurone.

"Shaga you need to-"

"What?! Calm down? Like hell I do! You know how I feel about that…that bitch and yet you still bring her in here!"

"Zuma, leave. I'll talk to you later." Youko's voice was smooth and seemed to cut right through the tension. The pink haired 'bitch' left the room without ever uttering a word. Poor girl. Tora was curious though of more than one thing. Why she even entered and why Shaga was so upset.

"You didn't tell him did you?" Shaga accused lightly looking across the table at him. Youko simply pulled the cover off of his food, seemingly ignoring her. But that obviously wasn't the case, he was thinking of what to say.

"No I didn't. I'm not going to tell Kurone a _theory _that is more than likely incorrect. It would only add more stress to him. That is why you told me isn't it? Because you didn't want to bother him with it? If that's so you'll shut up, eat your food, and not speak another word of it."

Shaga sat blinking, obviously surprised. But she didn't disobey; instead she uncovered her food and began slowly eating. Tora followed suit, still trying to understand the outbursts. No one had given her any idea what exactly was going on. Other than Shaga didn't trust pinky for one reason or another. She didn't even watch what she was eating; instead she let herself get lost in her own mind. The silence dwelled on; it felt as if everyone was afraid to speak up. Afraid to break the simplest of things.

Tora furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. It felt as if someone was pulling on her tail. Not in a painful way but just a persistent tug. Craning her head back she saw a silver tail wound around her own. Quiet or not it seemed as though Youko was back to his old self. Sighing she wagged her tail trying to shake it loose from the death grip it was currently in. A smile spread on her lips again just before said silver tail wrapped itself around her waist.

"What is your issue?!" Silence broken.

"Issue? Is it an issue that I want to be close to you?"

"YES!"

The answer only made him chuckle. Of course. He was grating on her last nerve. She'd always prided herself in being a patient person. But with him it seemed as if she had no patience at all. Kurone stood from his seat, stumbling backwards a bit. Revenge was sweet.

"I see I'm not the only graceful one."

That got a round of laughs from the room. Good everything was going back to normal. Just the way it should be. The food had been eaten somewhere in between the mocking and the fox. Though Tora couldn't exactly tell where. Standing up the two girls exited the room. Where were they going now? Tora had no clue but she knew that she'd be following Shaga wherever there was.

"Why don't you like that woman?"

"I can't talk about it but…I get a bad feeling from her. Just promise me you'll stay away from her Tora. She's dangerous I just know it." Nodding her head they walked back towards Shaga's room. Not the answer she wanted but it was a start.


	5. Humble Abode

All right everyone I'm sorry for the late update. I know I popped out four chapters in two days earlier. That's going to be hard to live up to. But I have a lot going on right now and I'm trying to work with what I've got right now. Once again sorry for the late update and I will try and update sooner from now on. I ended up breaking my own code. You don't know how disappointing that is. Also lets talk about Tobsha's accent for a moment. It's meant to sound Romanian. No there aren't going to be vampires in my story. I just wanted a funny accent and I didn't know how to describe it. That and Tora wouldn't know what Romania is.

**Death101 – Fox Version** You get to learn a little more about 'pinkie' this chapter. I even did a little shout out for you in this chapter. You'll know when!

**darkdemon125 **Yay!! That makes me happy. I didn't really go over this one that much though so there might be a few mistakes.

**bonbonchocolate **I hurried! I'm glad you finally started reading them. I was like "Please tell me she isn't going to be one of those people who read but don't review." But your not so I'm a happy noodle. I must say it would be funny for him to just flat out attack her on the table but nooo it didn't happen. Thank you by the way, I'm really trying to make him seem arrogant. I was worried it wasn't coming off right. :{D

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

_One Month Later…_

"Why haven't you sent me on any of the missions yet?"

Youko gently squeezed the bridge of his nose, trying to urge the headache to leave. Tora had been asking him the same question for two week straight. Everyday at the same time she barged into his office complaining. Closing his eyes he relished in the momentary silence. Her feet seemed to pound against the floor of his, now clean, office before stopping directly in front of him. His golden orbs flew open when he felt the pressure push down on the arms of his chair. Youko raised an eyebrow in humor at her sudden dominance. Since she'd agreed to join she'd acted like such an innocent little girl, she even talked liked one. Never once had she disagreed with him, unless she was trying to get away from his advances.

Letting his eyes wash over her he wasn't surprised when he saw she was still wearing Shaga's clothes. The two girls had been so preoccupied working on Tora's room that they completely forgot she didn't have any clothes of her own. The dress she currently wore was the exact same as the first one, except it was pale blue with white trim. The color's suited her better, in his opinion.

"I've already told you, there haven't been any recent heists that require your _skills_."

"And what exactly are my _skills_, oh mighty King of Thieves?"

He chuckled at the way she'd said his title. Youko hadn't been oblivious to the fact that she and Shaga were the only ones not to call him Lord. The Fire Apparition did wait till Kurone had informed her it was all right. Not Tora, she jumped right in without any fear. It was like she had a death wish or something.

"Seduction," Youko couldn't help the laughter that flitted out his mouth. Her expression was one of complete confusion. Her eyebrows here furrowed together, her mouth was slightly agape, and her ears were plastered down to her head.

"What's that suppos-"

The sound of harsh knocking made Tora's ears pop up. The sound was loud making the fox aware that it wasn't Shaga. Forcefully he shoved her arms off of his chair before standing from behind the desk.

"Enter."

His voice was smooth but held some hint of irritation in it. Teal orbs widened at the woman who walked into the room. It was the pink haired girl from her first day! Tora had looked for her, wanting to see why exactly Shaga hated her. No one had even uttered a word about lunch's outbreak so she wasn't sure if bringing it up was good or not.

"Have you finished your mission already?"

"Yes my Lord, however it was unsuccessful and I was the only one to return alive."

Once again Youko pinched the bridge of his nose. This was not turning out to be a good day. A small growl slipped from his throat startling both the women in the room. Nodding his head slightly he waved her out of the room. As of late he had begun wondering if maybe Shaga had been right about the girl. Reaching back he grabbed Tora's arm and pulled her towards the door.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow Kitten. Same time as always?" Pulling the door open he placed one hand on her butt and shoved her out the door.

"Jerk!"

A low chuckle made it was through the room, making Youko's sensitive ears twitch lightly. The pendant was, as always, the first thing he saw of his dear old partner. He was lounging lazily in a chair swinging that damn gem. It did become annoying from time to time. So aggravating that if it didn't mean so much to the bat he would have broken it by now.

"Seduction? Isn't that your skill my friend?"

"I suppose it is."

Chuckling he looked away from the pendant. Even without looking though, he could hear the sounds of its quick movement through the air. Also annoying. But Kurone did bring up a good point; he didn't know what exactly her skills were. She seemed to be a good trickster. It had been any easy job for her to trick Old Man Hiroki. That paranoid old bat barley trusted his own family. But he'd let her in without even a second thought about it. To bad he'd been a sacrifice. The old fool didn't see any of it coming, especially since Youko had hid the stone in his home earlier that week.

"How exactly do you think Tobsha managed to get back alive?"

Shrugging his shoulders the fox plopped down in a chair next to him. It was odd that she'd come back at all. It'd basically been a suicide mission, but she'd been there standing in front of him. Without even a single scratch at that. He knew the woman had outside connections, he just needed to find out if it was with a bounty hunter or another thief. Hopefully the later of the two, that would be a lot easier to deal with. Youko had sensed something off about her the moment they let her join. But it'd always been hard for him to turn away a pretty girl. Now he was paying for it.

* * *

Tora stomped down the hallway, purposely slamming her feet as hard as she could into the tile. She knew it pissed off the other thieves and they would complain to _Lord_ Youko. Maybe then he'd send her on a mission to get her out of the fortress. She'd planned on running and never looking back the moment he let her out of this hellhole. But he hadn't even considered letting her out. She was starting to wonder if he knew her intentions. Turning the corner she ran head first into her one and only friend Shaga. Before she felt the floor against her rear she felt a hand wrapped firmly around her wrist.

"I have a surprise!"

The cat assumed they'd be going to Shaga's room, seeing as she was still staying with her. They hadn't really minded staying with each other. Just as she went to push the door to the room open she was turned around and pushed to a door across the hall. Furrowing her brows she turned the knob to the room and pushed it open. Instantly her eyes widened, she'd been so prepared to tell Shaga about Youko's prick attitude that she'd forgotten this was the room assigned to her. The room was similar to Shaga's but had some minor differences. The walls were painted a deep royal blue, which contrasted well with the wooden floors that all the rooms had. The bed was round and shoved against the wall opposite to the one the door was on. It had a silver and blue comforter, as well as some matching pillows. Steps lead up to the bed, making it look almost regal. The rest of the room was adorned with a vanity mirror and a dresser. They'd talked about her room, but not much. Just discussing color schemes that she liked. She hadn't assumed it would be finished so quickly.

"It's beautiful!"

Spinning around Tora pulled the taller girl into a hug. She would have been happy to stay with her the whole time but knowing she'd gone through so much trouble to prepare her a room was touching. The sound of a giggle caught her off guard completely; looking up at Shaga she could see the humor etched out all across her features. Tora tilted her head to the side slightly, her ears jerking back and forth. She was hiding something, that much was obvious but what that something was she didn't know. Pulling away she walked farther into the room, deciding to give it a better look. Tora was just barley aware that the door was being closed. Pursing her lips she noticed that the room didn't have a window. Probably Youko's doing, to keep her from running away in the middle of the night. Running her fingers across the surface of the bed she was amazed at how soft it was. They must have bought it from the same person who made Shaga's because it felt identical.

Walking to a door she pulled it open to reveal a closet. It was spacious and actually had a couple of different outfits in it. Most were the outfits Shaga had given her, but some weren't. The others looked brand new. Turning back, said purple haired demon was leaning against the doorframe.

"Kurone and I went to the market the other day. I picked you up a couple things, so you won't have to wear dresses all the time."

"Thank you. You've done so much for me."

She simply shook her head and walked out of the room. Tora had learned that Shaga didn't like it when people appreciated what she did for them. Almost as if she thought it was her job, like the maids cleaning was their jobs. She was more than happy to be a thief than one of the maids here. The outfits they were forced to wear were so degrading. Walking out of the closet she decided to go explore the castle. Tora planned to do that daily but something always seemed to distract her from the task. Stepping out into the hall she was now aware of what that something would be today. A blur of pink had turned the corner and she was determined to follow it. Grabbing fistfuls of her dress she hauled it up so her feet were no longer covered, before taking off down the hall.

It seemed as if this mysterious woman was always on a mission or hiding from Tora. That probably wasn't the case but it sure felt like it. She'd searched high and low for her for the first whole week she was there. After that outburst she had to know if she was a bitch or not. Then today in the office, she couldn't just walk right up and talk to her. She was obviously disobedient but she wouldn't be that rude! Tora was almost there, but it looked like she was going to go into another room.

"Hey! Hey Pinkie wait up!!"

It worked because the woman stopped, her hand hovering above the doorknob. The scowl on her face was enough to make even Tora reconsider talking to her. But she had her where she wanted her.

"Pin-"

"My name is Tobsha."

There was one thing out of the way. It had been her question until she was so rudely interrupted. The woman had a strange accent, which had caught her by surprise. She wasn't sure why she hadn't noticed it in the office but now it confused her. Who had an accent like that in the Makai anyways? Shaking the thought from her head she prepared to speak until.

"I have no time to waste speaking with Jiro's _bitch_. Now run along kitty before I have I shoot you up with something you'd never recover from."

Before she could even register what had happened a door slammed in her face. The wind, as well as the sound, startled her. Reaching up she placed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her now racing heart. Now she knew that Shaga was right about her being a bitch. But something left her uneasy. How did she know that she used to work for Jiro? Even more so the way she phrased it made it seem as if she knew more than was letting on. Just another thing for her to ask the fox about tomorrow.


	6. Twilight Zone

Oh lord so I feel really bad for taking so long to post guys. Let me explain everything. To start with my computer crashed. So I had to go get a new computer and set my internet back up. Now I am currently still trying to get back on track because I didn't have a backup for my plot for this story. Which means currently I'm winging it. I remember specific chapters that I wanted to write but not there order. So just hold in a little longer and I'll get back on track promise.

**Death101- Fox Version** – That's because she is crabby. But you'll see why soon enough :3

**poetsheart** – Thank you so much, I'm glad to hear its unique. This is my first real STORY so I'm trying to keep it original as possible. ^.^

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

The blood was boiling in her blood; somehow this girl that she'd never met before in her entire life knew her connection to Jiro. Not just a slight inkling either. By the way she addressed her it was obvious to Tora she knew more than she was leading on. Which in turn meant Youko probably did as well and he'd been playing stupid with her this whole time. A low growl rumbled deep in her throat at the thought. He'd been yanking her around since day one. When he'd questioned her he'd probably already known about Jiro. She could feel warm tears building up in her eyes; she couldn't do this not now. Of all things for her to cry about she was going to cry over a stupid fox who liked to play mind games. Standing outside the door she couldn't bring herself to knock. All the anger had rushed out of her and all that was left was sorrow. Tora had grown fond of the fox over the last few weeks and the thought of his betrayal struck deep in her heart. She was so gone in her own mind that the faint sound of footsteps behind her didn't register once. A warm dark hand rested lightly on her shoulder before turning her around. Shaga was worried; it was etched precisely across her face. The furrow of her brows made her feel that much worse but she just shook it off.

"If you're looking for Youko he isn't in there. Come on."

The gentle touch of Shaga's hand around her wrist was a sort of comfort she didn't understand. The simple touch should have been just that, but this girl had such a strong motherly quality about her. Tora wasn't stupid; she could see her friend dying to know what was wrong with her. In fact she was surprised she hadn't already asked. Maybe she was in on it too. The thought made her stop dead in her tracks, the abrupt movement confusing the young fire apparition.

"Do you know what I am?" Her tone was so soft she barley heard herself, but luckily Shaga was all ears right now.

"You're a female demon thief. What else is there to know?"

"So you don't know about my past? About-"

A soft finger pressed to her lips silencing the spew of words about to be released. She didn't understand any of this. Tora wanted to understand Shaga; she wanted to know why exactly she cared so much. The warm smile made her tears stop almost instantly. "All I know is your name is Tora and what breed you are. And honestly if that's all you want me to know I won't stress. Everyone has their reasons right?"

Tora's eyes shifted to the floor before nodding her head lightly. The pressure on her wrist increased for a split second before returning to its previous state. They were walking down the hall once again the silence around them creating a tension so great it seemed to smother the two. Thankfully they came to a door that Shaga didn't even pause at; pushing it open it revealed a rather simple room. It looked like a large dining hall without the table. It seemed there was every type of demon in all of the Makai in that room. But standing at the very back of the room stood the very fox she'd been seeking out earlier. Without even glancing up he ushered them over with the wave of a hand. At least they wouldn't have to stand near the pig faced demon.

This obviously wasn't the place or time to be questioning Youko so instead she sat neatly next to Shaga who seemed as oblivious as she was angry. If there was one thing the young cat had learned in the last few weeks it's that if Shaga's angry it's for a good reason. The girl seems to live by high standards created for herself that she'll never understand.

"Everyone quite down," Youko's booming voice echoed through the hall, silencing every last hushed whisper. "Now that I have your attention you all know that Kurone, as well as myself, have been planning our next heist. I'll be coming up to certain members individually at a later time to discuss if you are or aren't going."

Glancing among the demons, Youko was glad to see that everyone's attention was placed directly on him for three reasons. The first being that he loved the attention, second he wouldn't have to repeat himself, and third they were no longer staring at the girls sitting directly behind him. Kurone wasn't happy just as Shaga wasn't but for different reasons. The bat was aware of why Youko started addressing the heist so quickly and it wasn't because they were prepared. He'd become anxious sitting up in the hideout of the last month. He knew that he felt it to; he just wished he'd be more cautious.

"Deep with in the heart of Gendar there is a shrine built to protect the Naginata of the Oni Megami. The staff itself is a deep ebony with jade carved into it. Words are etched into the blade of the weapon that leads to another hidden treasure. We will be leaving for Gendar in three days in the early morning. If you are addressed privately make sure you are in this room before the sun rises. If not, you will be left and possibly executed for not upholding your duties."

There were a few scattered words across the room before it went back into an up roar. From where she was sitting it didn't look like Youko was going to talk to anyone, let alone inform them if they were going or not. He just glared at a certain spot on the wall, she was sure it would spontaneously combust any moment now. Tora glanced up at her friend noticing a look that seemed as if she were analyzing something, and then she spoke.

"You know, I've been here a while and I've seen how this place changes. But ever since Yomi disappeared it's become extremely strict."

Tora was very well aware of Yomi; Shaga had been nice enough to inform her of the demon earlier during her stay. Apparently he was reckless and put the entire gang in danger, in her own opinion he had to have been disposed of. What else could explain his sudden disappearance? She let herself slip into those thoughts not even noticing as the fox slunk around the room to a select few people. This mission was going to have as little baggage as necessary and that meant only the best men in his gang. No exception. The few that were approached all seemed grateful to be allowed to tag along on the raid. That's all they'd been doing anyways, tagging along. Most of the time he and Kurone did all the work, leaving the others to die helplessly on their own. They aren't friends their tools. He'd forever seen them that way and saw no reason to change that now.

He glanced around the room himself, taking in the appearance of all the different demons that occupied this threshold. To the untrained eye it would seem as if every species of demon could be located in this room. But he knew that no matter how different they were they all had the same goal in the end, to get a rush. Off to the side he saw Kurone talking to the two girls who seemed to be listening happily. If it weren't for all the noise in the hall he would be able to hear what they were talking about. Whatever it was it was funny because he could see a light smile spread across Tora's face. He found himself smirking as he watched her. When she laughed she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her mid section. A some what goofy grin was always plastered to her face for quite sometime after she'd calmed down from the laughing fit.

Shaking his head he walked down the hallway towards his office, it seemed he spent most of his time in there lately. But with things that need to be planned there was no better place. He was still not sure about Tobsha, the fact that she was alive was hanging over him like a dark veil. She should not have survived, everyone knew that. But then again maybe she did just get lucky. Youko shook that thought from his head instantly, no one was that lucky. Well no one but him that was. But that was common knowledge that didn't need to be thrown around anymore than necessary. He fell back into his chair before glancing around his clean office. Well currently clean.

* * *

Hours after everyone had met in the conference hall Tora found herself walking down a very familiar corridor, to an equally familiar room. Youko had called for her and she couldn't help but feel anxious. She was hoping it had something to do with the mission; she wanted nothing more than to go on this mission with the others and prove just how important she could be to them. The only other time she could remember feeling this nervous outside the door to the office was her first day here. Compared to that this should be simple. Tora let out a soft breath before pushing the doors open to find Youko glaring at a map, similarly to the wall he'd glared at earlier.

"Does this have to do with the mission?"

Her voice was meeker than she'd have liked but at least the question was out. She watched him, studied him better as his head lightly moved up and down. She could feel her heart violently beating inside her chest against her ribs. A feeling she'd become used to when she was around Youko. It wasn't just because of how dangerous he was or how good looking either, he was just so unpredictable she was never sure what he was going to come up with next. Tora's tail wagged back and forth lightly in anticipation, this is what she'd been waiting for. The whole time she'd agreed to join it was for this moment. Though now she wasn't sure if she would run or not. Even though she'd never admit it to him, she'd become fond of the arguments she and Youko shared daily. It was almost like her new little ritual, and she didn't want to break this habit.

"You're not going."


	7. Bitter

I dedicate this chapter to **Death101- Fox Version**. She was the only one to review last Chapter and that makes me think she's the only one reading the story still. So I got this chapter out just for you my friend.

Two new characters introduced in this Chapter :3

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

In an instant it felt as if her entire world stopped. All the nervous, excited feelings were replaced by what felt like her stomach sinking into her stomach. Wasn't going? Tora couldn't wrap her head around the idea that he was once again leaving her behind. Sure it should have been simple he'd done it many times before, so what made this time so different? Slowly she felt her hand reach up to grip her chest, the quick beat of her heart taking her by surprise. She felt so stupid, how ignorant could she have been to believe he'd ever allow her to go anywhere? But she was apart of the crew, she but her life into this group of thieves! That should have been enough for him to understand she wouldn't betray him.

"What?"

"I said you're not going."

The sinking feeling multiplied at that simple statement; yup she'd hear him right. Her breathing began to feel shallow and came in with loud gulps. Tora let her gaze fall to the neat floor in front of her, she was still a prisoner here wasn't she? He'd never once intended to make her a part of the crew it was just a ploy so she'd stay. Her hand slowly slid from her chest to lie limply at her side. This was it, she was just like a pretty picture on a wall. Great to look at but not good for anything else. That how he saw her, she knew it.

"When are you going to let me go?! I've been stuck here for at least a month now!"

She slammed her hands down on his desk, causing a few books to crumble to the ground. His golden eyes met hers for the first time that day and she could see the confusion hidden within those glowing depths. Youko hadn't wanted to tell her not to go but it was for the best. For one the mission was far to dangerous for her, especially since he had no clue what all her abilities were. On top of that he was still unsure if he could fully trust her. She did used to work for Jiro, who's to say that the moment he turned his back she wouldn't bolt? Standing up he walked around to where he stood in front of her. His hands rested lightly on her shoulders as he spoke.

"Tora, you should know I have a reason for everything."

"Shut up!" Tora's voice screech pierced even her own ears. Her next action shocked even her, without a second thought she slapped him across the face. The sound echoed through the room, before silence fell between them both. In the moments it took her to rest her arm back at her side, she began to realize what a bad idea that had been. The second Youko regained his composure she could see the anger dancing in his eyes. She'd seen him this angry before, but never at her normally it was when someone did something to her. Before she had a chance to even think of apologizing she felt her back slam against the wall. A small cry slipped from her lips before being cut off by a hand constricting around her throat. Gasping for air her hands began trying to pry his hand from her throat. This only managed to make him hold tighter.

"Know your place!" Youko's snarl reverberated throughout the room causing her eyes to widen in fear. "You forget how willing I was to kill you the day you got here. Don't think for a second those thoughts have changed."

He let his hand slip from her throat all the while watching as her body fell to the floor. Something in his chest tightened the sight of her gasping for air so greedily made him feel sick. Did he need to be bothered by her? Walking away from her he slowly made his way back to the desk straightening a couple books. "Get out." His voice was gruff, but low and calm. Youko was positive if she didn't leave he'd do something he'd regret.

"I said get out!" The growl was heard down the hall by the fire apparition's sensitive ears. Tora's eyes opened in fear once again before she scrambled out of the office. He was stupid to think he'd ever be able to kill her, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it. Sliding back into his chair the images of the events played back in his mind. Now she would not trust him but she'd be afraid of him as well. Pinching the bridge of his nose he leaned back in his chair. This was a disaster.

* * *

Out in the hall Tora sat a few feet outside the doors. Her hand was gripping her throat as she continued to gasp for breath. The tender flesh was already starting to bruise and there was nothing she could do about it. The light sound of footsteps was the first thing to register in her ears. The second was the two sets of feet that stood in front of her. Before a single word could be uttered everything went black.

Kurone looked down at the girl in front of him, this did not bode well. The uneasy breathing of the woman next to him wasn't good either. "Go get a bucket of cold water and a wash cloth." There wasn't a reply as Shaga ran off to do as he asked. Sighing he reached down and gently lifted the girl from the tiled floor. Honestly he wasn't sure if he was going to get on Youko's bad side by doing this or not. But at the moment it was Youko's bad side or Shaga's, and he found Shaga a bit more important. Her light mumbles caused him to break from his thoughts and look down at her. The large bruise around her neck was already a bright purple. What exactly had happened in there? Opening the door to her room he once again gently laid her on the bed. The fabric was cool to the touch as he slid his hands out from under her. Leaning against the wall he waited for Shaga to return so he could leave. The last thing they needed was for her to wake up and run like he knew she'd try and do.

A moment later Shaga ran into the room the bucket of water held steady in her hands. Ringing the water from the rag she laid it neatly across her friend's forehead. She'd never seen Youko react with such violence towards the women here. Sure he'd seen it multiple times with the men, but with the women he seemed to have a little bit of chivalry. Whatever had happened must have been drastic for him to do this. Her ruby orbs slowly followed the tall figure as he left the room. Seems Kurone wasn't going to stick around and help with the healing process.

* * *

_In Tourin….._

Staring out a large window his cold eyes locked on a single lightening bolt as it splintered through the sky. It was quiet, to quiet for his tastes but as of right now there was nothing he could do about that. Long blue hair was tied into a high ponytail that wavered slightly from the wind. _Beep. Beep. Beep._ Turning slightly he looked at the screen behind him an incoming call. Walking to the wall he pressed the button. A wide picture appeared, the objects in the background were foreign to him but the person on the screen wasn't.

"It's been quite sometime. What new information do you have?"

"They will be doing a heist in Gendar in three days." Nodding he took in this information before remembering the real reason he wanted to communicate with his subordinate.

"How is my pet?"

"I am sad to report, My Lord, that she has abandoned us. She is now fully devoted to none other than the Youko."

A vulgar growl ripped through the room, causing the person on the opposite side of the screen to flinch back. How could she? How could she abandon him when he was all she had. He was hers and she was his. That's the way it'd been and that's the way it would stay. A clawed hand gripped the a glass tightly before continuing.

"How exactly is she devoted?"

"I believe she may be falling for him, my Lord."

The glass shattered into a million pieces, most jabbing into the palm of his hand. That little wench, she has humiliated him for the last time. Standing he turned the screen off, obviously dismissing his minor. Sitting down in his chair he began to slowly pick the glass from his hand watching the blood pool to the ground. How many times was she going to disobey him before she realized she could never escape? The blood gave him an idea, one that he should have thought of quite sometime ago. With the last of the glass removed from his hand he wrapped it with a small cloth before walking out of the room.

"Clean that up." He said in a bored tone to a woman in the hall. She wasn't a maid, he knew that but he didn't care. They all served him after all so what was the difference? He met up with another man halfway down the hall. He tan skin stood out among the white walls of the threshold. His long blonde hair making him seem even more outstanding.

"What do you plan to do, Jiro?" The mans voice was deep and velvety as he glanced at the blue haired ice apparition.

"Don't worry about it. I have a plan and that s all you need to know." Jiro glanced at his tan partner before continuing down the hall. Tora would not escape him, not now. Not ever.


	8. Dazed and Jaded

Well I my story was added to quite a few favorites and quite a few alerts but I don't have as many reviews. But thank you anyway for adding my story, if you could drop me a line now and again though that'd be nice to.

**Death101- Fox Version**** – **Yes Youko did cause quite a bit of damage. That actually wasn't in my original script for the story, but now that that's gone I decided it would add an interesting twist to it.

**Maye**** – **Well thank you so much! I'm glad you like it so far. Yeah I don't have many reviewers but the couple I get here and there are what keep me writing this story. I lost a few though because I lost my computer for a while. Maybe I'll gain them back.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, Sheng, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

Jiro stood in front of a full length mirror looking back at his reflection. His skin was sun-kissed with just a hint of color. The long scar that ran straight through his left eye, starting at his forehead and ending at his jaw line, was rough and jagged. His fingers gently brushed the tender flesh remembering the day it'd been ripped through like paper. Small wrinkles had formed around his chocolate brown eyes and at the edges of his mouth. Long ice blue hair fell lazily to the middle of his back in soft waves. The lack of sleep was apparent on his face as he turned away from the mirror. He hasn't slept in many nights, and though it's not necessary for demons to sleep every night he was starting to feel its effects.

He could feel the long hours pulling at his brain, making him some what delusional with lethargy. He took the small black ribbon and tied his thick hair back before slipping into his own world again. Jiro had thought Tora was dead for days, until a little birdie told him otherwise. At first he thought she might be staying there to scope out the competition but he'd been proven wrong quickly enough. The thought that she'd betray him made his stomach churn. Glancing down at his wounded hand he was reminded of how much trouble his anger could get him into. He would be the first to admit that it took control with an iron fist. A soft knock on the door caught his attention and pulled him from his thoughts.

"What is it?" His tone was harsh and showed no signs of the contradicting feelings that were swimming through his heart.

"Jiro everything's set up, we're waiting for you."

With a small nod he turned towards his closet, today was going to be a long eventful day and he needed to be ready. Slipping his night robe off he grabbed a pair of tight fitting pants and a long sleeved white shirt. Once both were on he added a simple black obi and a waist length indigo jacket. He slipped his boots on and he was out the door. The walk down the hallway was a quiet peaceful trip, besides the occasional bow and greeting. He blew them off like he did everyday. Most of the men that worked for him were forced from some sort of business deal. To work off a debt, to free their families from being hunted like dogs. It wasn't long before the tall elaborate doorway came into view. With a little more force than necessary he slammed the doors open and walked right to the side of his partner in crime.

"Let's get this started." A sinister smirk spread across his pale pink lips before the room erupted in laughter.

* * *

_Large teal orbs blinked lazily at the scene unfolding. It wasn't a foreign scene; instead it was one she had become accustomed to over the years. A tall well built man stood at the entrance of a small house. His golden hair lined with brown shimmered in the light that flitted through the door. The bronze of his skin stood out against the boring white walls of the small home Tora had grown up in. At his side was a petite woman, her jet black hair hung to her knees in a beautiful braid. Her golden eyes were widened in fear and stood out on her beautiful pale skin. Their eyes were locked on a young man, his hair was short and pale blue. It stood up in little spikes and it wasn't long before his eyes locked on hers. After that he left their home in a hurry._

_The door shut and the bronze man came to kneel in front of her. His teal orbs pried into hers with a certain warmth she couldn't understand. Her small chubby hand reached foreword to gently caress the pale blonde ears that were perched happily on top of his head. With the other hand Tora grabbed her blonde ear, before tilting her head to the side slightly. The woman rushed over in a matter of minutes and scooped her up, muttering something so low even she couldn't understand what was being said. Even at that young an age she knew something was wrong, something terribly wrong. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, in the way the people of the village fought daily. She just didn't know why._

_The woman sat her down outside with a gentle smile. "Go play for a little while pumpkin." Without a second thought Tora nodded her head before running from the house. She stopped in the river before looking down at her reflection her reflection was of a younger version of herself. She had short shoulder length hair that bobbed up and down when she walked. But for the most part she looked that same. Tora suddenly had a plan and began running down the path towards the center of town. As she ran she couldn't help but hear the sneered words that were directed towards her. _

'_**Half breed.'**_

'_**Abomination.'**_

'_**Disgrace.'**_

_She didn't understand what they meant, all she knew is they were talking about her. The glares she received on her way to the edge of town made her skin crawl. That all disappeared when she saw a young man at the edge of town. His back was to her but even from here she could tell it was him. "Sheng!" Her voice cut through the air quickly enough. But as he turned to look at her she noticed a man with him. His hair was short, spiky and blue._

Tora shot up in the bed and immediately regretted it. The pain that surged through her body was enough to remind her of what had happened. Her throat was dry from gasping for air so rapidly when she'd been let out of the office. Sweat lined her body as the images wouldn't remove themselves from her mind. It'd been years since she'd dreamt of her childhood…and of him. Of the man she was currently trying to remove from her mind. He'd always been like this, once he was there he wouldn't go away. Like a fly that couldn't be swatted. Rubbing the sweat from her head she noticed the rag on her pillow and was suddenly away that she wasn't in the hallway anymore. On her nightstand was a glass of water that the greedily swallowed down.

Glancing to her left she noticed the fire apparition had fallen asleep at her side. It hurt her heart that she'd be leaving such a wonderful girl behind, but this wasn't the place for her anymore. Quietly she slipped out of the bed and into her closet. Once inside she stripped off the dress and grabbed some pants. They weren't tight fit but they hugged her legs nicely. They flared out at the bottom and were a nice cream color. Then she slipped on a black tunic that tied at the side. It had a light blue trim and design running up the side of it. Her flat black shoes were already on she slipped out of her room and was in the hallway.

The moment her feet touched the tile in the hall she took off running. The looks the demons were giving her as she passed reminded her of her dream. Though she knew they were looking at her because of the dream and not because of what she was. Tora rounded a corner and immediately entered the kitchen. The staff had already gone to bed for the night which meant she'd slept longer than she'd expected to. Hopefully that meant Youko was asleep as well. She gently shoved the door open and slowly entered a garden. The sight was beautiful though from what she knew about the fox, it was probably a lot more deadly than it led on. Instead of hanging around to find out she began to try and find her way out of the winding garden. Soon enough she found a maze. How original. Even with her keen senses she could find her way around it and instead decided to enter it. At least if she got caught here she would be able to say she was only taking a walk.

The farther into the maze she wandered the more confused she became. Tora was starting to get worried as she reached what she believed was the middle. A tiny bench was perched in the center and she sat down. Might as well take a break for a minute. A cold chill suddenly raced down her spine making her eyes widen in fear. Glancing down she saw her entire body had become frozen to the bench underneath her. She struggled slightly before looking up in the bright brown eyes. The mockery that swirled in them made her stomach churn in a very unpleasant way. "Jiro." She snarled lowly through clenched teeth as she continued to try and break free. In a swift movement he was sitting next to her, his chilling hand pressed gently to her cheek.

"What kind of welcome is that Tora? Is that anyway to treat an old friend?"

* * *

Youko paced back and forth in his office; slamming his hand against the wall every time he was close enough. The shot's of pain through his hand was enough to keep him focused on the problem at hand. He'd practically almost strangled Tora, and it was really getting to him. Normally he would ignore it like he did every other problem that had to do with him acting out of instinct and not logic. It had only been a few hours earlier that Kurone had broke into the office demanding to know what had happened between the two. He knew at that moment that the decision he'd made to act rashly had affected more than just Tora and himself.

Raising his hand he felt his sore cheek, where he was sure it was still a brilliant shade of red. Her slap had hurt a lot more than he'd expected it to. That might be why he reacted the way he had, it'd caught him completely off guard. Slowly he felt his ears twitching at the sound of what seemed like rushing footsteps. He hoped that Shaga wasn't coming to lecture him as well. By the light sound they made on the floor he was sure it was her that was coming this way. Just as he'd expected a moment later the door opened revealing the frantic girl, but what came out of her lips next chilled him to the bone.

"Tora's gone."


	9. Miss Bipolar

Youko may seem a bit oc this chapter but I thought logically to the way most people act when the person they have feelings for go missing. I figured he'd react the same way but I made sure he stayed a bit logical.

Thank you to**Death101- Fox Version**, **Maye**, and **Kuro Neko to Kuro Bara****. **Your reviews are what keep me writing this story. Also thank you to all the people who put my story on their favorites or alert lists. AND thank you to those who added me to their favorite authors list. :3

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, Sheng, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

Golden orb's blinked slowly before locking on the concerned face in front of him. She was kidding, wasn't she? Shaga was just pulling a prank on him for hurting Tora earlier. That's what it had to be. Walking past her quickly he made his way down the hall. Youko was slightly alarmed but was trying to keep calm as he reached her door. Without a second thought he shoved the door open, instantly it felt like his heart had split. Glancing around the room he noticed the bed was left unmade and the closet lights were on. The room was a disaster, something he knew Tora would have been furious about. If she hadn't been in a hurry. Walking back into the hall he began to pick up on her scent and followed it. The smell was still strong in the hallways letting him know it hadn't been long since she'd come this way.

Out the back door in the kitchen, and his pulse began to quicken. What if she'd been eaten by one of his guard plants? The one's he planted specifically to devour anyone who comes through here with a strange energy signal. They wouldn't have been exposed to her energy anytime recently. Shaking the thoughts from his head he stopped at the entrance to the maze. He could easily find his way through but he decided to follow her path to see what she ran into. Youko wasn't a trustworthy demon; he'd planted multiple traps throughout the maze in hopes of whoever entered never returned. He could feel himself becoming sick with worry when he suddenly lost her scent. But that was impossible; there were only two ways to do that. One, she'd have had to disappear. Or two, something or someone was covering it up.

Youko was determined to find her though, so he continued his search. It wasn't long till the slight sound of muttering caught his attention. The voice was unfamiliar to him, but one he'd never soon forget. Rounding the corner he immediately felt his blood run cold. There stood a man, who's appearance was as much a mystery as his voice. He was tall, but still shorter than Youko, and he stood right next to Tora. Anger seemed to radiate from her normally joyful face, but he'd seen this look once already today. Her body was frozen from the shoulders down to the small bench he'd placed in the maze.

"Tora,"

His voice came out in a slurred whisper that surprised even himself. Normally he felt so powerful but in this instance he didn't know what to think. Those brilliant teal orbs turned to lock on his and he felt his heart flutter for a minute. That was until she spoke.

"Leave me alone you stupid fox! I don't ever want to see you again!"

Her voice screeched through the air and he winced back at the viciousness in her tone. Did she honestly expect him to just step back and let this man have her? He took another step foreword and felt another pair of eyes locked on his form. The mans he presumed. Youko was confused as to the identity of this man or his motive. Even though the 'enemy' was a few feet away he made no move to attack or escape. But in an instant, just like earlier, everything changed. The man began to glow a light blue color, so light if you didn't know any better you'd assume it was white. His eyes began to glow the same color as he snapped his fingers. The sound seemed to vibrate into his eardrums in slow motion. Before he could act Youko was suddenly aware of something moving towards him before he was cut off from Tora's sight.

"She doesn't wish to see you anymore, so I must oblige to her _request_."

The statement angered him straight to the core, who was he to invade his hideout and start acting like he ran the show? The fox demon was cold, chilled to the bone and could barely make out what was being said outside of his prison. The voices were muffled and the images were blurry. He'd never felt so helpless in all his life. Taking a couple deep breaths he cleared his mind and tried to think straight. Getting worked up would help neither of them at the moment, all he needed was a plan. First things first, he needed to figure out how to escape.

"Were you planning on coming home anytime soon? Or were you enjoying your visit so much you decided to stay?"

Tora could feel her heart pounding against her rib cage, leaving a pain in its wake with every beat. What was she to tell him? Up until today she had enjoyed her stay and hadn't even thought about leaving. And now the day she decided to dart he trapped her in a maze. Literally. Her whole frame went rigid when a clawed finger came foreword to gently stroke the bruise on her neck. Despite the ice chilling her to the bone she could see the slight warmth in his eyes. The fact that he was taking caution when dealing with her injury was a shock as well. When did he become gentle? The look in his eyes made her stomach twist in knots. This wasn't one of his simple visits, the one's she'd become used to when she was back at the hideout. Tora opened and closed her mouth a few times knowing that neither of the answers would be the one he wanted. A small chuckle slipped from his lips before he pressed a finger to her lips.

"No need to lie to me. I already know what you want to say."

Her ears twitched lightly at this confession, already knew? She didn't understand how he already knew what she wanted to say when even she didn't know. Glancing up at Jiro she noticed he was no longer looking at her, instead he was gazing off towards the sky, a distant look clouding his normally cold eyes. Tora began to concentrate without drawing attention to herself, he knew her powers. He knew everything there was to know about her. He knew all about her past, about what her parents had done, about how no matter anywhere she went she was never fully accepted, _about Sheng_. The last thought came quickly leaving her unprotected, how could she forget? How could she forget the entire reason she'd joined Jiro's gang? Sheng, he was part of, if not the entire reason, she joined Jiro's gang of thieves. The small lightening bolt in her hand was warming up and melting the ice around her hands.

"He's disappointed you know." The words caught Tora's sensitive ears, causing her to forget all about the little lightening bold in her hands.

"D-disappointed?"

"Yes he expected better of you, then to run away and spend time with that low life fox."

Jiro's eyes turned back to her glaring strongly into her own. This look, it was the one that always made her cave. It frightened her; she'd seen what it could do. She tried to redirect her eyes away from him but suddenly she felt a hand grip her face.

"Look at me."

Teal orbs locked on his face examining every little aspect. From the new age lines forming around his hate filled eyes to the strong angular point of his nose. His lips were thin and lined with a small amount of hair. He hadn't shaved in quite sometime, and it was becoming obvious. Next her eyes fell helplessly on the scar that had ruined his perfect face. It was jagged, with different parts splintering out across his face. All of which disrupted the smoothness of his sun-kissed face. The same turning feeling returned to her gut as she looked at it. Why couldn't he remember how he'd received that scar? Letting go of her face he turned away from her leaving the scar less cheek towards her.

"Right as I was saying, as of late he's been extremely disappointed in you. We both thought you'd promised to, how to word this, show your loyalty. Now you go and run off again, not very dependable if you ask me."

Standing from the bench he glanced back before glaring that the ice prison. Jiro wasn't an idiot he could tell the fox would break out any moment now; that was his cue to leave. Fixing the cuffs on his jacket he turned his attention back to the cat demon. A clawed finger brushed stray blonde hair from her face, he couldn't help but sigh when she flinched away from his touch. Not to surprising. Leaning down he kissed the top of her head before walking off, a gust of cold wind encircling him.

It didn't seem but two minutes later that vines began to break and crack through the ice prison. Emerging from the ice Tora instantly noticed how pale he was. His lips were a light color blue while the rest of his skin had been drained of the little bit of color that had originally resided there. The ice around her body shattered into little shards before fluttering to the ground lightly.

Youko fell down onto the bench next to her, a small shiver running its way down his body. The terror returned into Tora's eyes and she fought with herself. Should she run? He did come looking at her. Though she was fairly sure it was to punish her for leaving. Standing from the bench she went to move a way, but something cold wrapped around her wrist. Looking back she saw it was Youko's hand which was obviously still frozen. She could feel his hand trembling as he held onto her.

"Don't go." It came out more like a whisper than a demand but the cogency was still obvious in his tone.

"Why? So I can almost get myself killed again? I don't think so! Let me go this ins-"

Teal orbs shot open in surprise as she was cut off. Tora didn't know when it happened but somehow Youko had snaked his arm behind her and placed a hand on her head. With an unwavering force he'd crashed his cold lips against hers. Lazily her eyes began to droop before she kissed him back. The way the melded together surprised her, almost as if they were made to go together. His hand slid from the back of her head, down her back and stopped to rest on her waist lightly. There was a warmth in his kiss, despite how ice cold his lips were. An unannounced passion she was unaware he'd felt before now. Tora's hands dropped to rest on his shoulders lightly before she pulled away. Immediately his nose had nestled into the crook of her neck before he sighed. The warmth of his breath sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Tora was completely aware of the warm blush that was rising to her cheeks.

"Don't go."

The words were the same but now he'd regained some more of his strength. He hadn't noticed till that moment when they kissed how much he wanted her, how much he needed her. Tora pressed her lips to the top of his head between his ears. It felt odd with her being taller than him. Sure he was sitting down but this was a nice change being able to look down on him and see all his reactions without looking strange. She noticed how the light color had returned to his cheeks and the blue in his lips was slowly fading.

"I won't."


	10. Karma

Once again, it's been a while since I posted. I actually have no reason this time other than a lack of motivation. I know talk about a horrible excuse but that's all it was. I'm a horrible Author. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter it will reveal a couple of things for you. I hope to get addicted to writing this story again. But who knows what will happen. I'm going to try and stay on topic but, you never know. Thank you to everyone who added this story to their favorites, or added me as a favorite author. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed. I want to reply to you all, but it'd be really delayed so I'll reply to everyone in the next chapter. Sorry it's a little short.

Don't forget to review! :]

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, Sheng, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

_The scene seemed familiar, in a dark room lit only by the moons bright rays busting through the window. Everything around her was soft and comforting. She sat on the edge of the bed staring out the opened window. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, a few stray pieces escaping. Multi-Colored ears twitched becoming highly aware of a light breathing behind her. Tora was afraid to turn around, afraid of what she might find. Her heart was like a jack hammer in her chest, why did this feel familiar? The feeling of a sharp nail running across the side of her face made her blood run cold. She knew what was going on now; all she needed to do was wake up. But she couldn't will herself to move in her dream, let alone wake up. The finger made its way to run through her hair, gently pulling the hair tie. Why couldn't she will herself to make this stop? What was the point in her reliving this moment all over again? A strong gust of wind shoved itself through the window, causing the curtain to flow through the room, in a single eerie movement._

_Slowly the hand ran its way down her back, and all the way back up again before resting at her shoulder blade. As if cautious it began to start to slide the top of her sleeping robed down, Tora attempted to struggle against the culprit. But found herself unable to get out of his grips. He kissed his way from her shoulder blade, to her neck, and up right behind her ear. It made her sick, it made her want to hurl everything she'd eaten in the last month, and then do it again. Why was she being so weak? She knew what to do so why was she hesitating? Strong arms wrapped around her body pulling her back against a rock hard chest. This was turning worse with ever second she didn't act. Tora knew how this would end; she would feel ashamed of herself and he would be left with exactly what he wanted. Just as he began to pull the robe open to reveal the rest of her body, something inside of her cracked. Without a second thought she turned slamming her hand against his left eye. The same sickening crack she'd come to know and understand rang throughout the room, with it mixed a pained scream. Jumping away she stumbled trying to catch her footing._

_Glancing back what she saw almost made her want to go and assist him, if it wasn't for what had happened over the last few years. Blood poured over the snow white sheets as he clutched his eye in an attempt to rescue it from certain demise. Standing still she watched as he reeled in pain, continuously calling her name. Pulling her robe back up on her shoulders she ran into the hallway ignoring the screaming. She knew he'd followed her into the hallway, but with the damage done to his face he'd never catch up. Tora had been used by him for years now, not that it ever ended up the whole way. However it wasn't something she enjoyed. It wasn't something that when it happened she wanted it to continue. No she wanted it to end as soon as it started, the moment she felt his hand upon her._

_She froze in her spot, for what stood at the end of the hallway scared her more than what was behind her. His violet eyes bore into hers from across the room, a look of pure distaste dancing in them. She knew that look was directed at her, who else would it be for? However Tora couldn't help herself, she approached the man a sense of longing always drawing her near him. He never once stopped watching her, even when she stood a could inches away. Even when her eyes welled up with tears that threatened to flow over. Even when she clung to him and sobbed till she could no longer feel a thing. He didn't help her, he didn't hold her as she clung to him with everything she had. He didn't even pretend like he felt sorry for her. One pale hand placed itself on her shoulder before gently pushing her back._

_"You can't run a way; this is what you were always meant for."_

_The words rung through her ears slowly, taking as much time as they needed to register. She didn't want to be a slave to past negotiations. She didn't want to have to stick to the game plan every time. Why did someone else get to plan her life for her? Tora would never understand how it was alright for one person to plan another's life. The tears were flowing freely now, a feeling she didn't currently want to experience. How could life be this cruel? Glancing back she saw the injured man leaning against the wall, still screaming in utter agony with every breath he took. She was young, but so was he. How was she to know it'd cause so much damage? The way he was looking at her from across the room made her stomach churn in more than one way. _

"_Tora, go help your mate."_

Shooting up in bed she quickly gripped her chest. She could feel her heart pounding. In a hurried rush she tumbled into the washroom and tore off her top. Turning she glanced at her shoulder in the mirror. A relieved sigh slipped from her shaking lips as she noticed it was bare. Sliding down the wall she sat there trying to catch her breath. The cool tile chilled her legs but at this point she didn't care. How could she forget she was the one that had hurt him? Standing from her spot on the floor she walked back into the very familiar room. How had she ended up here? The last she remembered she was still in the maze. A bright blush spread across her cheeks like wild fire. She'd kissed him. He'd kissed her. Placing her fingers to her lips she stood in a daze. How had that happened? Tora couldn't believe it. That in itself seemed more like a dream than the one she had just experienced.

'_What time is it?' _Tora thought as she looked around. It would have helped if Youko had actually allowed her a window. Walking to the door, she didn't care that she was in her sleeping robe. At this point she just needed to walk. To clear her mind. So much had happened last night between the dream, Youko, and Jiro finding her. The visit had seemed casual enough, but there was an underhanded motive knowing him. Tora's brows furrowed as she tried to turn the knob. For some reason it wouldn't turn. She tried multiple times but it wouldn't budge. She was locked in. her eyes widened in fear that he'd actually locked her in her room.

"Let me out!" She shouted at the top of her lungs as she began slamming her fists against the door. What exactly was it made of? It couldn't be a normal wood for it hurt much more than any wood she'd ever felt before. After what felt like centuries the door flew open, but it wasn't who she was expecting. Standing there in all their glory was none other than Tobsha. Taking a few steps back she surveyed the girl again. She was quite a bit larger than Tora. Height and weight wise. Not that she was fat however she was very curvaceous. Tora had never taken the time to actually see her appearance. Just the basics, hair and eye color. Her skin was dark, probably from extended amounts of sun exposure. Her nose ended in a point making her eyes look even larger. In all truth she was lovely.

"I advise you quiet down, I wouldn't want to report your death to our _Lord_."

Once again the woman's accent took Tora by surprise, that and the way she sneered the title. It wasn't in the joking way in which she herself used. No it was full of actual spite. Like it left a horrible taste in her mouth if she spoke it.

"Don't say another word, it's my job to keep you in line until he returns. Wouldn't want an accident would we?"

With that she turned and left the room. What did she mean keep her in line? Tora was a handful but she never actually started too much drama, unless it was with Youko himself. Grabbing the knob again she attempted to turn it but found it was locked. Talk about Karma. Rolling her eyes she walked into the closet trying to find something to do. Who was this woman? She had to be familiar some how. She worked for Jiro that was obvious. But other than that Tora couldn't make an accurate judgment on who she was. Running a hand through her hair she glanced around the closet. It was pretty much barren apart from a couple of dresses. Sure Shaga had been nice enough to get her some clothes but she wasn't as fond of them as she was the dresses. For some reason it made her feel like an actual lady. Something she'd had a hard time experiencing as a child.

She'd grown up being one of the boys. She never had time to be girly. Her father had told her she would be better off learning how to defend herself than how to style her hair. And in the long run he was right. If he hadn't taught her how to fight she might not be alive today. Hell she knew she'd probably be six feet under. The thought of her father made her heart hurt. It'd been years since she'd seen him last and she missed him. Maybe once Youko got back she could convince him to let her go see her father. Doubtful after what she just pulled actually. Shaking the thought from her mind she walked out of the closet and back to her bed. Laying down she let sleep take her over quickly, hoping it'd coax all the mixed emotions and thoughts from her mind.


	11. Shut Up

So I did it guys, I finished another chapter! This chapter is going to clear some mysteries up and create some more. I loved my reviews and actually replied to them this time. I'm going to try and finished the next part of my Zaraki story before posting on this again. But we'll see how well that goes.

**Hadley-sensei** – I'm so glad you like the story. :]

**Death101- Fox Version** – This chapter should answer your question.

**Maye**– Yes it has a been a very long time. I felt horrible for not posting for so long. But I'm glad you liked the update and hopefully you'll like this one as well.

**Hioni**– Hey! The story does not appreciate that! xD

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, Sheng, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

Remember to review :]

* * *

In a very quick ten minutes Youko had taken Tora to her room, woke up Kurone, and put someone on guard. He knew something was wrong and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. A thief doesn't break into a fellow thieves fortress without a reason. It's practically suicide. He'd only been searching for a day but he'd found some pretty good leads. More so on Tora than Jiro, it's as if he had appeared from out of no where. No one could tell Youko any information from before Jiro had set a reputation as a thief. Standing on the outskirts of Tourin both he and Kurone surveyed the small village. It was a quaint and obviously poor village. A large river ran through the middle of it, all the people looked the same though. In a general appearance. They were all tall and lanky, with long black hair. So black it had an almost greenish tint to it. From what he could tell they were all very pale as well. So much so that it was a great contrast to their hair color.

Slowly the two walked into the town surveying the people's reactions to their presence. It seemed as though they were going to act as though they didn't even exist. A few people stepped out of their way and went into their homes. The rest however ignored. The town wasn't nearly as poor as it seemed down here. Once inside it was a bustling town, with very fine goods. Youko took a glance at his partner, who seemed to be on edge. Kurone was normally a really relaxed person if they weren't planning. On information gathering he normally was extremely laid back, however something had him uncomfortable.

How were they supposed to learn anything about Tora or Jiro if no one would stop and acknowledge them? An older woman stood not too far ahead of them, she seemed like a perfect target. Maybe the old woman knew something. Kurone and Youko quickly glanced at one another before continuing towards the woman. Something was wrong with her, which was obvious. As they got closer they noticed her eyes were a clear blue. She was blind.

"What do you want?"

Her voice lashed out at them, obviously agitated by their intrusion into her space. Though she seemed rude enough the look on her face said otherwise. In fact she seemed quite content, almost as if she'd wanted them to come over and speak with her.

"Do you know anything about a man named Jiro?"

The woman's brows furrowed in frustration, as if she was trying to dig something from the farthest corner of her mind. Slowly though she shook her head no, another dead point. Youko was getting tired of this. How could someone just appear out of no where like that? It wasn't possible at all.

"How about a girl named Tora?" Glancing over he was surprised that Kurone had spoke up. Let alone about Tora, sure that's what they were in this town for. Looking back at the old woman he noticed a very angry look on her old face. An extremely angry look at that.

"Leave. I want nothing to do with that worthless half-breed."

Before either of them could utter another word she was stalking off towards her home. If he wasn't so surprised Youko would have ran after her questioning the woman. Though he doubted she would be telling him any useful information. Farther down they noticed a man standing off the edge of the river, people seemed to be avoiding him just as much as they were avoiding the pair. Youko looked him over trying to find why they would act so. He looked just like them; his long black hair fell in a braid down his back. He wore a traditional men's kimono that was black with a purple dragon design. A simple pair of zori sandals were on his feet. So all in all he didn't seem too important. In fact he looked about the same as every other member of this little town. His violet eyes seemed to be searching for something on the other side of the lake, before they slowly turned to lock with gold orbs. They'd been spotted. The man slowly motioned for the pair to come join him. Glancing at his partner he saw the hesitance in Kurone's eyes. Sure he had every reason to be hesitant of this person. Neither of them knew who exactly he was, however Youko needed answers.

Not wasting another second the fox started to stalk towards the man. It wasn't till he was a couple feet away from the man that he noticed a pair of black cat ears. "You aren't from around here." His voice was deep and extremely husky. An awkward contrast to his pretty boy looks. It gave him a more abrasive appearance in Youko's eyes.

"Do you know anything about a girl named Tora? She was supposed to have grown up in this village."

A smirk seemed to slide across the mans face, the laughter even reaching his eyes. A completely different reaction from the old woman's.

"Yes I know of her."

The pair watched as the man thought about what to say. They obviously weren't going to speak another word until he spoke up.

"In fact, have you seen her? I heard her mate has been searching for her."

Youko's heart sank. Mate? He'd never seen a mating mark on her. Hell she didn't even carry the sent of another male. How could she be mated then? The two were too lost in their own thoughts to notice the smirk that was slowly creeping across the mans face. He needed to return to the fortress, he needed to think. He needed to talk to Tora. How is that even possible? How could that slip under his nose?

"Do you know who her mate is?"

How could Kurone ask such a question? It was bad enough knowing she had a mate let alone actually knowing who the man was. However, if they were able to find him, he might be able to answer some questions for them.

"I believe his name was Jiro."

* * *

"What do you have to tell me Sheng?"

Glancing back at the monitor he saw a smug smirk on his counterparts pale face. His ebony ears twitched with excitement. Jiro was not in the mood to wait for Sheng to express how he had further helped their plot. However to see the man so eager meant things went according to plan. In fact he didn't even want to hear what he had to say, he already knew the answer. It humored him how easily people could be manipulated to do what you needed and wanted them to do. Take Sheng for instance, Jiro had completely brain washed him. Turned him against his very own family. It seemed as if even now Sheng was willing to place his younger sisters soul on a platter for the man. Well actually he'd already done that.

"The fox and the bat started back towards their fortress the moment your name was mentioned. It was as if their fears had been confirmed."

Nodding Jiro turned the screen off before relishing in the moment. Soon shit would hit the fan; all he needed was to fit one last piece into the puzzle. Fixing his coat be began another call out, the screen was black for a moment before the face of a woman showed up. Her blue eyes were curious as always.

"Continue with the next phase of our plan Tobsha."

"Yes my lord."

With a curt nod the magenta headed woman turned off her communicator. Everything was going exactly how he wanted it to. The idiots were playing right into his hand. Walking over to his chair he stared out the window wondering how long it would take. It hadn't taken Jiro long to figure out that the one way to beat Youko was with women. That's why it had been so simple when he'd sent Tobsha over to him. All he'd had to do was place the locater in a diffrent location than the wrist. It had been much more painful but it was worth it. Look where he was now. Leaning his head into his hand a small smirk spread across his face. He was eager to see where the everything would fall. Of course it'd all still be in his ball park but he had some plans for not only little Tora, but that fox as well.

* * *

Tora sat slumped against her wall, it'd seemed like she'd been sitting there for hours. Who knows how long it'd actually been. Not a single word had been uttered since she spoke to her 'guard.' If she could kill her right now, she would. There was this feeling of worry that kept twisting in her stomach. Something felt off, but she couldn't pin point what exactly it was. It was about that time that she heard her door cracking open. Standing from her spot she saw Tobsha looking at her with what seemed like sympathy. This worried her, why would she feel any sympathy for her. Tobsha motioned for her to come closer to her, it was a slow lathargic movement but she agreed. She could hear her blood rushing she was so nervous. For some reason it felt more like she was about to get killed then told something important. Hell it probably wasn't that important. Knowing this bitch she probably thought Tora was breathing to loudly. Once she was a few feet away the other woman reached across, placing her hand on her shoulder. This didn't bode well.

"Lord Youko has requested your assistance."


	12. Over & Over

Alright here it is, the next chapter. There is going to be a couple flashback in this. I hope no one gets confused though. If something doesn't make sense please let me know and I'll explain it to you the best I can without giving the story away. So I've finally decided which way I want this story to go. I had been debating for quite sometime if I wanted to end it one way or another. I'd been hesitant because I fear the ending I've chosen will piss you all off. However we'll see. I've also been trying to figure out if I should end this story early and make a sequel. Or just keep the story going here. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them. I kept to my word and updated my Kenpachi story first. I guess I'm just on a writing roll right now. Anyways, thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! And to all of you who added my story to your favorites list.

**FallenAngelx3**** – **Thank you for your review :]

**Zoey24**** –** Yes well I've always seen him being rather playful. If you look at him after he's been reborn as Shuichi Minamino he still has a playful side. That you see when he's picking on Hiei about Yukina. I see that being something he's brought over with him from his past life. Thank you so much, I'm glad you like the story and Tora. I really appreciate your review. 3

**bonbonchocolate**** –** I'm glad you like the twist! Lol. Well you've got to smack Youko down a few ego pegs every now and again. :D

**Death101- Fox Version**** –** Yeah things can only go down hill from there. And yes that's partially what it was :]

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, Sheng, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

Remember to review! :D

* * *

"_Lord Youko has requested your assistance."_

Tora had wondered why exactly he'd need her help, it didn't make much sense to her. But she didn't question it, the moment she was set free from that room she'd ran. Now she was a few miles away from her old home, which meant Youko had to be near by. Even now she was picking up his scent. Hopefully he hadn't already left. From what Tobsha had told her it sounded as if the fox was injured. He'd probably been too cocky to see it coming. However Tora had no reason to shove that in his face until a later time. Right now she just needed to figure out where in the town he'd actually be. Jumping from the overhanging cliff she landed a few feet outside the town. No one had noticed her yet, which was surprising. Normally they sensed her presence the moment she was within two miles. Talk about being hated. Creeping into the village she felt a familiar dread washing over her. The looks everyone was giving her just increased this feeling.

Just like when she was a child people were steering clear of her, pulling their children out of her way. As if she was going to kill them at any second. Wrapping her arms around herself she tried to shield herself from their chilling looks. It still made her skin crawl, just like it did all those years ago. Stopping she looked at the falling down shack, it was so familiar to her. Slowly she crept in to find it deserted. Standing in the same place she did all those years ago she saw the scene all over again.

_Her father stood in the doorway of their home, his golden hair lined with brown shimmered in the light that flitted through the door. The bronze of his skin stood out against the boring white walls of the small home Tora had grown up in. At his side was a petite woman, her mother, her jet black hair hung to her knees in a beautiful braid. Her golden eyes were widened in fear and stood out on her beautiful pale skin. Their eyes were locked on a young man, his hair was short and pale blue. It stood up in little spikes and it wasn't long before his eyes locked on hers. "Jiro."_

_After that he left their home in a hurry. The door shut and her father came to kneel in front of her. His teal orbs pried into hers with a certain warmth she couldn't understand. Her small chubby hand reached foreword to gently caress the pale blonde ears that were perched happily on top of his head. With the other hand Tora grabbed her blonde ear, before tilting her head to the side slightly. Her mother rushed over in a matter of minutes and scooped her up, muttering something so low, "It's the only way. If we don't let him take her she'll never have a normal life. I refuse to let my daughter be out casted all her life." She sat her down outside with a gentle smile. "Go play for a little while pumpkin." Without a second thought Tora nodded her head before running from the house_

Snapping out of her daze Tora was amazed. Had she suppressed that? All these years she thought she couldn't remember what was said. Now all the fighting in the village had made sense. Why her father had looked at her so lovingly. And why her mother had asked her to leave. Slumping down on the little bed she'd once occupied she thought through everything. She had been courted when she was so young. Before she even knew what courted was. Her father had opposed it, she knew that. Her mother was afraid; it was her home town they were living in. It was her people that were rejecting her and her child. Tora pinched the bridge of her nose. Why couldn't they just move? Why couldn't they just leave the town? If they had left they wouldn't have had to worry about Tora being married off.

Stumbling out of the small hut she walked back down the bustling streets. There were new people in the town, people who had come over years after she'd left. Her mother had written her letters telling her about the wars in the North. How the survivors of the northern clan had joined together here. You could tell them apart from the others. There was hollowness in their eyes. Not that Tora could blame them. Their home, their families, everything they knew was destroyed, ripped right out from under them. Though even though she knew all this Tora could not pity them. For they didn't know her, but even now they still looked down upon her. They had never met her before, probably never even heard of her. She knew the moment she left the town elders had decided to act as if she had never existed. It didn't matter what she ended up doing, she would never be to their standard. And now these newcomers looked at her with the same disdain as the others. Who were they to judge her? Continuing down the exact same path she'd taken all those years ago the past continued to reveal itself to her.

'_**Half breed.'**_

'_**Abomination.'**_

'_**Disgrace.'**_

_She didn't understand what they meant, all she knew is they were talking about her. The glares she received on her way to the edge of town made her skin crawl. That all disappeared when she saw a young man at the edge of town. His back was to her but even from here she could tell it was him. "Sheng!" Her voice cut through the air quickly enough. But as he turned to look at her she noticed a man with him. His hair was short, spiky and blue. Her pace slowed down but she didn't stop approaching the pair. Sheng's cold violet eyes peered at her with the same hate as the rest of the town. His gaze had always made her uncomfortable even when he was being decent with her. Glancing at the man she'd seen earlier in the day she couldn't help but feel something was off about him. There was something off about him. But there was warmth in his eyes, a warmth she didn't get to see often. Her parents were the only people who'd ever looked at her like that. It was relieving knowing someone else could look the same way. His chocolate brown eyes were locked with hers from quite sometime before anyone spoke._

"_You must be Tora, I'm Jiro."_

_Slowly he crouched down in front of her, his eyes still smiling at her. His face didn't show the same happiness but you couldn't hide his eyes. His face was perfect; she'd never seen someone so handsome in her life. He had the palest skin she'd ever seen; it was completely flawless like freshly fallen snow. His hair was just as pale, but it had a strange hint of blue in it. She'd never seen someone with such oddly colored hair before. In her eyes he stood out so much from the people in this town, these people who all looked like clones. _

"_I want to help you."_

Pulling herself from her thoughts Tora remembered being so innocent, remembered when Jiro seemed like a nice man. In truth he was very nice to her for the longest time; he was the only one who was nice to her. Somewhere deep in her mind she'd believed the was the only one who'd ever be nice to her. So she'd stuck with him. She stayed with him through thick and thin. But soon she'd grown tired of it, tired of his constant nagging. His constant attention, she wanted out. It was then that he told her. He told her that if they became mates the people in her village agreed that she'd be redeemed. Her entire family would be. It was a lie. It'd always been a lie. They'd never agreed to such a thing. It was something Jiro and Sheng had both done to get her to believe them. To trust them. But she couldn't do it. That night it was supposed to happen she panicked. She attacked him and scared him for life. His perfect appearance and nice demeanor was gone forever. The warmth for her left his eyes after that.

Sheng had done nothing. She'd run to him for help and he told her to go back. And that's exactly what she'd done. She'd hung her head and returned to Jiro's side. Like every time before that. But now, she refused. She'd never go back. Tora shook the thoughts from her mind to find herself on the outskirts of town. Just like in the past she saw a man standing by the edge of the water. His long black hair hung in a braid down his back. His ears and tails twitching with what Tora could only explain as anticipation. She didn't run towards him like she would in the past. There wasn't going to be a warm embrace, there probably wouldn't even be a smile turned her way. So she slowly walked towards him, dreading every step that brought her closer to him. All the color had drained from her face as she neared him.

"Sheng, why are you here?"

Her voice wavered slightly, nervous of what exactly his answer was going to be. She saw his lips twitch upwards in a smirk before falling flat into an emotionless mask again. Those amethyst eyes turned to lock onto hers, humor dancing within them.

"Hello to you to little sister."

* * *

Youko stormed into the fortress, anger rolling off him in waves. None of the other thieves even considered approaching him at this point in time. There was no use. They'd end up dead or severely injured. It was very apparent that whatever had the fox so worked up must be important. Kurone had been left in the dust the moment he'd heard Tora was mated. And to Jiro at that. It didn't make sense. So she'd been working for him this entire time. He'd been played; the king of thieves had been played by a little girl. He was only a few doors down from her room now, when Tobsha came running up to him. She looked startled, almost as if she'd seen a ghost. It made the fox hesitate for a moment; it made him stop when she spoke.

"My lord, somehow the girl has escaped."


	13. Broken

Once again everyone I need to know if you want a sequal to this story or not. It decides a lot. So if just one person would let me know if they wanted one or not it'd be wonderful. Thank you to _Death101- Fox Version_, _Hioni_, _Maye_, and_ SolitaryNyght _for your reviews.

Please remember to review :]

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, that is the property of Sir Yoshihiro Togashi. Tora, Jiro, Tobsha, Sheng, and Shaga are all my characters. They are all my creations, no stealing!

* * *

Youko felt his eye twitch in irritation. There was no way she escaped again, it couldn't be possible. Shoving Tobsha out of the way he entered her room. It was just the way it'd been when he left. Everything placed neatly in stacks, folded, closed. Slamming the closet door open a growl rippled in his throat. He proceeded to do this to the bathroom as well. He was barely aware of Kurone entering the room, Shaga tucked neatly at his side. She seemed extremely confused, but Youko didn't care. He wasn't going to question her right now. Quickly be began rummaging through everything, looking for some sort of hint, any kind of clue. The once clean room was now officially strewn apart and getting worse as time went on. Glancing at the floor Shaga couldn't help but notice a small piece of paper. Slipping out of Kurone's grip she picked it up. She didn't inspect it much, the moment she saw Youko's name on it she panicked.

"Youko."

He looked ready to kill as he turned towards her. His eyes however lightened up when he saw her hand extending the piece of paper. Slowly he unfolded it, there was going to be a reason for this. A good one at that. She'd promised to stay, so she wouldn't run away…right? However what he read was not what he wanted to see at all. If there was ever a thought that passed through his head, it wasn't this one.

"_Youko, I can't stay here. I need to go home. This place is not my home, it never will be. I belong back in Tourin; I belong back with Jiro and his gang. We both know this, its just time to accept the facts. Perhaps our paths will meet again. – Tora"_

Another loud snarl ripped from his throat as he crumpled up the paper. Stalking out of the room he went straight for the magenta haired girl. It was her duty to watch the door; it was her duty to make sure Tora didn't leave. And she'd failed. The fear was slowly creeping onto the girls face, it was apparent to him. But he didn't care; he could careless what she thought. Reaching foreword he greedily took a handful of her hair. Snatching it back he commenced to drag her down the hall. He didn't care that she kept apologizing, kept asking him to let her go. Hell Youko wasn't even sure when she'd tripped. All he knew is that he was dragging her, and wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Rounding the corner he took the exact same path he'd taken nights ago. The night Tora had fled the first time.

The girl's apologies were becoming more enthusiastic and fearful the longer he walked. He wasn't in a hurry either. Youko was letting the anticipation build, letting her imagination run wild as he rounded a corner into the kitchen. It was still early in the day so all the staff were there staring wide eyed. He'd paused just for a moment in the doorway to look at each of the faces before continuing with his path. Right out the backdoor he was immediately hit with a strong scent of honey. He knew it was coming from his favorite guard plant. A plant that actually seemed quite harmless to those who didn't know better. Stopping in front of said plant he turned Tobsha around so she could take in its appearance. It was a rather large, beautiful plant. It had rosettes of spoon shaped leaves sprouting from the center. The plant seemed to swirl out in a way that some might say resembled the sun. Each of the spoon like leaves had red tentacles sticking off of them, a slick substances covering them. At the end of each tentacle seemed to be a drop of dew. White flowers were scattered on tall scapes within the plant.

"The Drosera Spatulata, it's a type of Sundew plant that originates from south-east Asia in the human world. It's typically a rather small plant but because I've been growing it with my demon energy for years it has flourished."

Yanking the girl up some more, he could see the fear written clearly in her sapphire eyes. But he didn't care. Right now he was too angry to care about her fear or about anything else for that matter. His blood was boiling in his veins and pounding its way through his entire body. Youko's hands were even shaking slightly from the anger and possibly the anticipation that he was feeling.

"The honey scent you smell is how it attracts insects in the human world. They are drawn towards the smell and mucus glands. One would assume the mucus was there to cause the insect to stick," Youko turned his face towards the woman, a sinister smirk slowly appearing on his face. With a hearty shove the girl went tumbling into the plant.

"But in truth the mucus removes itself from the tentacle completely to cover the prey. As the insect tumbles about trying to escape it finds itself running into the other tentacles, until it has accumulated so much of the mucus that it eventually drowns itself."

Turning his back to the woman he walked back into the fortress. His ears twitched occasionally, picking up the sound of gargled screams. The sound made his heart flutter; most it would make them ill. Kurone was waiting just outside the kitchen, his arms folded firmly across his chest. Youko knew he should probably pay more attention to his partner but he couldn't say he really wanted to. His mind was reeling with this betrayal. Shaga was still tagging along behind the bat, like usual. Before Tora was around she had followed him around like a lost puppy dog. Now that he'd thought about it, that's why they had found her.

The pair had finished raiding a village for no particular reason. But when the townspeople retaliated they did as well. It wasn't long before they had murdered the entire village. The screams echoed in Youko's mind, making the memory that much stronger. It wasn't until they were a good while outside of the village that they noticed her. She'd been stumbling along behind them the whole way. Her demon energy was small, hence why that hadn't noticed her. She was young then with the same large crimson eyes. Her hair was lighter then though, almost a lilac color. Since that day she'd been with them. It didn't matter that they were the reason she was an orphan. It was someone to be with when she had nobody left.

The pair followed close behind the still angered fox, Kurone knew if he didn't find a way to distract his friend he would continue to brood on Tora's absence. Just as he thought they all walked into the office where be began to pace. Muttering stupid things under his breath, things about how he should have noticed sooner. How he could be so ignorant. Glancing next to him he saw Shaga shifting nervously. She'd already told him what she thought about this, and he was certain she would bring it up soon. Though Kurone thought it was much too soon for her to tell him this, he figured there was no stopping her. Her ruby orbs flickered to his for a moment before she spoke up.

"This must be some sort of trick."

Kurone stiffened when he saw his friend stop his pacing. Glancing at the girl his eyes showed the hurt turning in them, though his face was stoic as ever. Gently he reached over grabbing the woman's arm in a light grip, simply as a reassurance. "This isn't like Tora at all," Kurone noticed the fox flinch at her name and let a soft sigh slip from his lips.

"And what is like Tora, Shaga? How do you know everything we've learned about her isn't a lie. It's best we place her out of our minds and move on."

His voice was calm, secure, in charge. Like always. But it was apparent that the fox was going to have the hardest time placing her out of his mind. Shaga went to reply before Kurone gave her arm a squeeze. That statement was Youko's way of ending the discussion. If he wanted to act as if Tora never existed Kurone would assist him in forgetting. Slowly he slipped away from Shaga before going to the board on the wall; the different colored tacks always pissed him off, though he'd never tell his friend that. In fact he wasn't quite sure why it pissed him off so much. Probably because of how standard it was. Glancing back he saw Shaga had escaped the room and Youko had taken a seat behind his desk. You'd think that the sight would come as a shock to him. But it didn't. All situations were handled the same, well normally. A well thought out plan or forgetting it ever existed was the fox's solution to everything he couldn't overcome or understand.

"Perhaps we should move the date of the mission up."

Violet orbs watched as gold glanced up, the confusion was apparent in his eyes. He needed the distraction it was fairly apparent to Kurone. If it took him all through the night he would set everything up to where they could leave early in the morning without any hesitations. Though he was sure the fox would help with everything, his whole heart and mind probably drowning in the idea of a heist to fill that empty void that he was probably feeling. Kurone's stomach sank a little at the thought of Shaga leaving. He wouldn't be able to stand himself with out the fire apparitions scent filling his nose, her kind smile danced in his mind. Shaking the thought from his mind he ripped a book down before dropping it on the desk. Flipping through it he found the page he was looking for. This trip was going to be well worth their efforts no matter what it cost.

"When do you suggest we leave?" His voice sounded hollow. At least to himself it did. Youko didn't know what was going on with him. He honestly shouldn't care that much. So she was gone. He'd just go back ot the way he was before she arrived. It was probably better off that way.

"At the latest tomorrow morning." Youko raised a silver brow at his friend proposal but couldn't really disagree with him. It sounded like a good idea to him.


End file.
